Though A Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will
by Phalanx
Summary: What might have been if Kuina had survived her fall down the dojo stairs. She and Zoro strive to become the greatest swordsman in the world, allegiances and promises notwithstanding. Chapter 17 (Season 2): As the hunt for the Straw Hats escalates in G-8, members of Smoker's crew dispatched there find their loyalty to the Marines tested in the course of following True Justice.
1. Burning

**Though A Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will**

**_Foreword: _**_When I first started this fic, I'd only meant to write a series of shorts where the first line would always echo the last, to practice my somewhat rusty writing skills. But somewhere along the way, I ended up with a full-blown story on my hands, and of course I had to do the right thing and see it through to the end ;) _

_This fic supposedly really starts coming into its own on the third chapter (I call it the part where the rust came off), so I do hope you'll keep reading until at least that far! Either way, thanks for looking!_

* * *

**Chapter 1: Burning**

* * *

Out in the execution ground, the sun shone down scorchingly.

It was that time of the day when right after the midday meal, citizens of Shelltown would push aside their emptied plates and retire for a hour's repose to escape from the heat.

But out in the execution ground of the marine base, such creature comforts were but a dream to a miserable figure currently tied at the stake.

It had been seven days since the incident at the inn where the so-called Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro had tangled with authority for the sake of a little girl named Rika. As his (bad) luck would have it, authority came in the form of Helmeppo, the snotty, spoiled son of Captain Morgan who even more unfortunately, had the town in a grip of iron. In the end, he had been coerced into making a pact with Helmeppo: If he survived for the month at stake, he'd get off scot-free, along with Rika and her family.

Helmeppo probably didn't believe he would make it, else he wouldn't have taken up the offer. But survive he would. He would show them all.

At the present moment though, he was wasn't surviving too well. Oh, he was surviving and even the hunger and thirst was nothing... but the heat was another matter. Stoic as he was, even _he_ was wilting in the unforgiving sun.

Mind over matter. The easiest way to endure the torture of the elements was to sleep. Zoro had always been able to sleep almost anywhere and anytime, and it was a skill that served him well now.

As he tried to nap, the unbidden image of a girl flashed before him.

_Kuina..._

He dreamt of his childhood. Of always trying and never beating his childhood rival. The grueling race to catch up to her skill even as she raced ahead of the adults in the sheltered world of the dojo.

Their 2001st duel out in the moonlight. Kuina's despair at her handicap of being a female swordsman. His own disdain at her attitude and the Promise.

_"Promise! That one day one of us will be the greatest swordsman in the world!"_

He awoke from his brief slumber to the scorching sun once more. This time, he fancied it was a bit lower in the sky than it had been.

The execution ground was still empty. After the first few days even the curious onlookers had deigned him an uninteresting object and left him alone.

The burning sensation of the sun against skin caused his brow to furrow. It reminded him too much of what had happened to Kuina after that night.

* * *

_"Zoro! Something's happened to Kuina!"_

_She had gone to the storeroom to get her whetstone._

_Indirectly he felt responsible for what had happened. The duel had been his idea. If he hadn't had insisted on real katana, Kuina would never have had to use hers. It wouldn't have been dulled in the fight and she wouldn't have felt compelled to sharpen it afterwards._

_And consequently she would never have had missed her footing on the stairs while carrying a katana in one hand and the lighted oil lamp in the other. _

_Luckily, she had fallen "right" and avoided a broken neck. _

_Unluckily, the dropped oil lamp had shattered and splashed burning oil all over her face. They'd awoken to the sound of her screams in the night._

_To her credit, she had had the presence of mind not to panic, and even managed to extinguish the flames herself before succumbing to the pain. What she hadn't known then was that the horrifying vision of her immolated visage would be the last thing she would ever see._

* * *

"E-excuse me, are you sleeping?"

Zoro was awakened from his fitful sleep by the timid voice of a little girl_. Please don't tell me she snuck back here again..._

"Rika! What are you doing back here?"

"I brought you some rice-water."

"Didn't I tell you to stay away?"

"But..."

"Stupid brat! Get lost!" He was harsh this time, knowing that if she were caught the consequences would be dire.

Predictably, her eyes welled up with tears and she hared off without another word.

"Sorry, but it's for the best, kid." he muttered to himself as the forlorn little girl disappeared into the maze of roads.

Dust swirled in the light breeze and mixed with his sweat, offering some slight relief. The sun, relentlessly cruel, continued shining overhead as the seconds ticked by, agonizingly slow.

Seven days... only twenty more days to go.

What would she have thought of him if she had known he had put himself into this predicament?

_"Zoro, you idiot! How could you be so careless with your life when we both have a dream to fulfill?"_

Yes. That would probably be the most likely response. Hadn't he said the same thing to her after her accident? (And he'd gotten a sharp whack from his master Koshiro for it too. Even years later he could still feel the bruise from the back of the sword.)

_But I will not die here. I made a promise._

No, the even the flames couldn't break this promise. And neither would the whims and fancies of injustice.

The wind blew.

And there, on the execution ground, the sun still shone down scorchingly.

* * *

_**To Be Continued...**_


	2. Mosquitos

_**A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm writing this to practice my somewhat rusty writing skills, so any pointers and concrit would be most welcome.**_

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Mosquitos**

* * *

If there was one thing Zoro hated, it was mosquitos.

And mosquito bites.

He'd been injured plenty of times before. Gunshot wounds, broken bones, and more cuts and stab wounds that he cared to remember. After all, it was the occupational hazard of living by the sword and hunting down people who didn't want to die by it.

Particularly if the said sword were his.

But mosquito bites... were irritating. They itched without hurting enough to make it worthwhile. They were like half-hearted attempts at being a real injury, and Zoro despised anyone or anything doing anything half-heartedly. After all, if a man (or woman) took up a calling or a dream, they had better be prepared to give it their all. Else they shouldn't even bother trying.

Which was precisely why Helmeppo's attempts at administering a beating to him while he was tied to the stake were annoying him so much.

Note that he used the term "annoying" and not "hurting". He doubted the Helmeppo had ever done anything that remotely resembled physical labour other than bully hapless townspeople and marines. As such, his punches and kicks were ineffectual to say the least.

In fact, he'd gotten pats on the head and congratulatory slaps on the back from his dojo mates that had hurt worse than Helmeppo's pathetic efforts.

Apparently the labour was taking its toll on Helmeppo however, for the foppish dandy had decided to take a respite, wincing at his sore knuckles while motioning for his pet marines to take over.

Now marines... they knew how to throw a proper punch, Zoro conceded.

* * *

_The sound of knuckles rapping against the wooden door had been steadily continuing for an hour._

_"Kuina! I know you're in there!"_

_Zoro had always been known for his stubbornness, and Kuina's accident four months ago hadn't changed anything._

_Well... Perhaps that wasn't strictly true. The dojo hadn't been the same thanks to Kuina's absence. Zoro had gone around every day since with a black armband in mourning of the loss of his friend the rival._

_In the first few days after the incident, everyone had thought that Kuina would die. It certainly would have been a mercy; the flames had consumed the top half of her face, much of her hair and had left her permanently scarred._

_And most damaging of all, she had lost the use of her eyes._

_But she survived and was in the midst of a long and hard recuperation. And although it was said that she had been (as was whispered around the dojo) permanently crippled, no one had yet to lay their eyes on her, as Kuina had not appeared in public since that day._

_For Zoro, it was as though she had died anyway. Fighting for him now had lost its savour. Nowadays when he fought he only did just enough to win his duels, in contrast to his flamboyant (and over-the-top) victories of the past._

_He'd even stopped gloating at his progress and showing interest in using more swords than his appendages would allow, which worried the dojo-master greatly._

_Gone was the daily anticipation of the never-ending duel-rematches between the two rivals._

_Gone were the moments of spine-chilling awe when daughter of the dojo-master would take on opponents twice her size and thrice her age and win so easily it looked like she did it with her eyes closed._

_Members of the dojo missed the morning ritual where Zoro would demand a rematch with Kuina and be taken out in one hit. That particular tradition had gone on for so long that each morning seemed incomplete without it._

_It took them a while to get used to seeing Zoro without the customary welt on the forehead where Kuina would have smacked him with her shinai too._

_The truth was, without Kuina to aspire to, Zoro was lost, which was why every day found Zoro at Kuina's house, demanding to see the older girl and being awarded with stony silence for his efforts. Yet he persisted, day after day._

_It wouldn't be Zoro if he gave up, after all._

* * *

"You're pretty stubborn, Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro."

He was bleeding and bruised all over, but he grinned. He'd won.

"I told you. I'm going to survive the month and win the bet."

Helmeppo looked at him, uncertainty in his eyes for the first time. It had seemed like a safe bet to him, but Zoro fancied that for the first time, the possibility he was going to lose the bet just filtered into the brain of the dense, foppish nancy-boy.

Then again, who would have thought obstinacy of his level could exist?

* * *

_"Zoro, just go away."_

_Things had progressed a little. Kuina had actually started responding to Zoro's "visits" by yelling to be left alone through the screen door. On occasion she would vary it by throwing things out the window, most frequently shoes. They had an uncanny knack of leaving their treads on his forehead after impact._

_She still disallowed anyone other than her doctor and the immediate family to see her. The dojo grapevine whispered that it was because her face had been scarred so badly and she didn't want anyone to see it._

_Zoro knew better. Tomboy-ish Kuina would have cared little on what her looks had been reduced to. In fact she probably would have welcomed it since it meant she could cross being a housewife off her list of future occupations to be pressured into and focus on being a swordsman._

_No, what had really plunged her into her pit of black depression was the loss of her sight, and by extension, the loss of her sword skills._

_After all, how could a blind person fight with a sword?_

_"Fight me! You need to start training again!" Zoro kept a watchful eye out for his master; the last time Koshiro had caught him saying something like that was the first and only time Zoro had seen his normally serene swordsmaster fly into a rage. Who knew his sensei could be so... scary?_

_"We promised. You can't just run away from it by falling the stairs!"_

_Angry stomping sounds, then a very loud and very angry reply._

_"SHUT UP! You don't know what's it's like! Don't you get it you thick-headed... grass-head? I can't see anymore? I can't fight! Go away and leave me alone!'_

_"That's not good enough a reason! Don't use it as an excuse!"_

_"What would YOU know, you idiot-Zoro! Why don't you try fighting blind?"_

_He was silent for a while._

_"Very well, I accept your challenge."_

_"... What?"_

_"I'll cut my eyes out and—__"_

_"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!"_

_He took off the black cloth that was his mourning armband, and tied it over his eyes. It worked very nicely as a blindfold._

_"Fine. From now on I'm going to fight every duel blindfolded... until you come out of there and fight me."_

_A somewhat shocked silence, then a derisive snort._

_"You won't last a month."_

_"Watch me."_

_"..."_

_"I mean... you'll see..."_

_"..."_

_Zoro smacked himself on the forehead._

* * *

Another day, another attempted beating.

Zoro had long figured out that the unlucky pet marines didn't like Helmeppo either, and only made a big show of striking savagely at him out of fear of their master. Still even with them pulling their punches, it hurt.

Helmeppo was another story. He evidently hadn't learned anything from his prior attempts, and his fists bounced off Zoro's forehead without leaving much of an impact. If anything, Zoo suspected the beating was so pathetic this time because Helmeppo's tender knuckles were hurting.

Kuina always did say that he had an exceptionally thick skull. It probably developed from the number of times she had whacked it with her shinai (or shoes).

"Hey dumbass," his unnerving grin had Helmeppo backing away from his trussed self so much it was amusing. "I'd say you hit like a girl, except that that would be an insult to the ones I know."

Whatever happened next, the look of embarrassed outrage on Helmeppo's face was worth it, Zoro decided.

* * *

_It caused something of a sensation when Zoro started fighting blindfolded. As expected, he started off by ending every day covered with bruises from his dueling bouts (which he lost). But with frightening speed he adapted to fighting without sight, and before long he was holding his own in matches._

_And soon after, he began winning them._

_Word got around. Zoro waited expectantly for Kuina to show up and resume her training. But still she did not appear._

_One morning, he faced off against Saga, a his sort-of replacement sparring partner since Kuina. The anaemic junior was a relative newcomer to the dojo, but had shown great determination to improve. In fact, one might say the bubbly junior had a bit of hero-worship for Zoro, and what he lacked in skill he made up for in enthusiasm._

_As was normal, Zoro took off his blindfold-armband, covered his eyes, bowed and started the duel._

_He knew instantly that something was different. He'd dueled Saga every day for a month now, and the junior's moves were had a whole different flow to them. This was hauntingly familiar, and felt more like..._

_Before he knew it a familiar strike that somehow evaded his parry scored a hit on his broad forehead. Zoro went down hard in a clatter of shinai._

_"The winner is —__"_

_Zoro whipped off the blindfold in disbelief._

_"— __KUINA!"_

_She had grown much thinner since her accident. He'd almost feared to see her face, but was surprised to see it wasn't as bad as they had been led to believe. The lower half of her face had escaped unscathed, and she had used a white silk scarf to cover her now-useless eyes and the angry red scars that accompanied them. The white blindfolds in way, mirrored his own black ones._

_Her hair was now painfully short, a thrifty blue fuzz just barely covering her scalp. But it was still Kuina._

_Saga stood in the sidelines, grinning sheepishly. He had swapped with Kuina at the last minute; it was obviously a planned surprise._

_"All this time, and you're still weak, Zoro." The smug grin was back on her face._

_Everyone waited expectantly._

_"I demand a rematch!" Zoro roared, as the dojo erupted in cheers._

* * *

The days stopped being different now. Blistering sun in the day, mosquitos buzzing him to distraction in the night. His stomach had stopped rumbling for a while now. Maybe it had resigned itself to the fact it wouldn't be fed for some time.

Sometimes dandy-boy Helmeppo and his tagalong marines would drop by and say "hi" in their own special way. It provided a break from the monotony, if anything.

Twelve more days to go.

It should have been getting easier and easier. He was so close to winning the bet now.

Yet it felt like every moment was dragging and he was making progress at the speed of a den-den mushi crawling.

* * *

_Zoro and Kuina sat outside the dojo, after their morning spar._

_The silence between them was palpable. For the first time ever, Zoro had won._

_But Zoro didn't feel elated as he should have. It hadn't been a fair fight. For all the brave words bandied around, it had never been fair since that night Kuina fell down the stairs._

* * *

_"Sensei! You can't allow Zoro to fight Kuina like that. It's not fair!"_

_The cries of his dojo mates were indignant. They were drowned out by the angrier yell of a very very irate daughter of the dojo-master._

_"I don't want fair!"_

_It had been two weeks since Kuina had returned to training. Zoro had fought her blindfolded every morning. It was galling that somehow he still managed to lose every time. Kuina had had more time to get used to fighting without seeing, he supposed._

_She had tried to duel others as well, but no takers. For some reason no one dared to. Whether it was because they felt bad dueling a blind girl, or they feared losing to a blind girl, Zoro couldn't decide._

_His rival had been especially edgy that morning, and after winning her two-thousandth-and-something-or-other battle she had suddenly exploded at him._

_"When are you going to stop fooling around and start fighting me seriously, Zoro?"_

_Affronted, Zoro glared back at her. "What are you talking about? I've been fighting you seriously all this time. No need to rub it in."_

_"No you haven't. You still have a blindfold on."_

_"You want me to fight you without it? That wouldn't be fair."_

_"I don't want fair. I don't want you fighting me with a handicap, Zoro. If we're going to be the greatest swordsmen in the world, none of our opponents are going to care a whit if I'm blind or not."_

_Zoro fingered the blindfold nervously. He would be a laughingstock, a bully if he did what she wanted of him._

_"Zoro-kun. Please..." her voice was almost a whisper._

_It was the first time she had ever called him that._

_"Okay."_

_He raised the blindfold into the air, and tied it around his head like a bandanna._

_"I can hear you tying the knots on your blindfold, Zoro."_

_"It's not over my eyes. It's on my head." Zoro patted his new headgear for effect, "This is my promise to you Kuina. Whenever I wear it on my head like this, you'll know I'm fighting you seriously."_

_Kuina nodded and smiled, "Don't hold back."_

_She was still smiling even after she lost and they both went to rest under the cool shade of the tree outside the dojo. After all, it had been a good fight. A real fight, with neither side giving an inch._

_"Hey... Zoro?"_

_"Mmm?" He had almost begun to doze off._

_"Thank you."_

_And that was that._

* * *

Mosquitoes.

At the present, the annoying ones buzzing around his head like a dark, humming cloud were the focus of his ire. If looks could kill, the particular one that had settled on his arm and was happily feeding on his blood would have been dead ten times over.

_Someday..._ Zoro vowed. Someday he would so powerful, he would be able to kill with just a look.

A tearful yammering from the direction of the wall attracted his attention. Two heads were peering over the wall and unabashedly staring at him. Well one of them was, anyway. The other looked so terrified it was bobbing up and down in agitation, reminding him of a coconut set adrift on a choppy ocean.

That would be the one belonging to the chubby little bespectacled boy with a shock of hair so pale it could be described as pink. The other head belonged to a lanky youth with a straw hat jammed tightly on his head. Even as Zoro's eyes narrowed, the youth saw that they had his attention and flashed him the biggest ear-to-ear grin he had ever seen.

More brats come to ogle at the demon pirate hunter Zoro. _Stupid kids probably dared each other to do it._

A vein bulged in his forehead as he glared at them in annoyance.

It was then when Zoro realized anew, if there was one thing he hated, it was mosquitos.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**


	3. The Kimono Maker's Apprentice

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Kimono-Maker's Apprentice**

* * *

The lone traveller paused, and looked up at the house where poles upon poles of brightly coloured silk fluttered in the breeze.

The kimono-maker's house by the river was a large but modest affair, strategically placed along the river where there was easy access to water for the washing of the fabrics. Despite its unassuming appearance and remote location on the outskirts of Shimotsuki village, it was revered for the fine kimonos it produced. Indeed, traders visited often for the exquisite garments which found a brisk trade in the Four Blues and even the Grand Line.

The kimono-maker herself was known simply by the name Ichii. And on this day she stood on the threshold of the house, overseeing the work of her workers and ensuring everything went well. It wasn't long before she sensed the approach of the traveling trader and his empty cart.

"Kuina!" she called out to her apprentice who was in the sewing room. "Zaito-san is here. Bring along the new kimonos to show him."

The young woman carefully put down her needle and the kimono she was working on, and made her way to the storeroom where rows of lacquered boxes were arranged neatly on shelves.

Of course she knew very well which kimonos "the new kimonos" referred to. Had she not sewn them herself?

The sky-blue _furisode_ with a pattern of cirrus clouds and cranes: on the third shelf on the right. The gorgeous _homogi_ which boasted a pattern of orchid flowers, yet with muted colours as not to appear garish as befitting for an older woman: that one was in the lower-bottom shelf with the other homogis.

And lastly, her favourite, which was stored in the black box on the center shelf: An exquisite furisode made of fine grey watered silk, which shimmered blue in certain lights and greyish-black in others. It was like the ocean itself... in fact she had patterned it such that the entire kimono was a map of the Four Blue Seas, and where the obi would be tied would be the Calm Belts and the Grand Line.

Even as she thought about them her hands sought them out on the shelves with senses there were not touch, sight, smell or taste. She had never seen the colours of her work, but she knew they were there and every stitch that should have been there was in the correct place.

The sense that enabled her to do this was closer to sound. But it was not the different sounds that she listened to, but the different types of silence that let her sense what her eyes could not.

And it was for this skill that Kuina had sacrificed the past few years of her life as a kimono-maker's apprentice.

To the rest of the village it seemed that the tomboy-ish daughter of Koshiro the dojo-master had finally grown up, and had settled into the life of befitting of a young woman with poor prospects of marriage. Given that she was bereft of her sight, it was a wise decision, they said.

But Kuina knew better, and bided her time. She had, after all, made a promise.

* * *

_It had been an accepted fact for some time now, that Zoro had surpassed Kuina._

_In a way it had been painful to witness, mainly because Kuina herself never gave up. It was as if the tables had been turned: Kuina training hard day and night to regain her lost supremacy, Zoro training just as hard to keep ahead._

_But the timing was ill, because as predicted, Kuina's body was beginning the transition from girl to woman, and the natural loss of coordination and clumsiness that came with it spelled doom for her rivalry with Zoro._

_This came on top of her already pre-existing handicap of being unable to see, making it nigh-impossible for her to compete on an even footing with Zoro, who was already surpassing all records for the dojo. But it had to be said, that in all of the dojo, no one else could come close to them, save Koshiro. But for reasons best known to himself, the dojo-master himself never dueled his star students._

_"My problem is that I can't attack," Kuina confessed one evening as she and Zoro sat on the stairs of the dojo, eating watermelon slices. It had become something of a ritual for them to discuss the day's fight and the new techniques they had each learnt._

_Today's conversation had started with Zoro deciding to name his new double-katana slashing move "Ni-Giri". It was a practical name, Kuina thought, even if it did make her feel a little hungry._

_Zoro had then asked about the name of her attacks, thereupon which something that should have been obvious from the beginning entered his realization- Kuina never attacked; she always waited for her opponent to attack first and then made a counter-attack. _

_"Without my opponent attacking, I can't sense where they are. And you've gotten so good at attacking now when I let you attack first I'm hard pressed to defend." For the first time in a long time, Kuina's voice had lost the confidence it once carried._

_Zoro looked at her narrowly. "You're not thinking of giving up, are you?"_

_Kuina flushed and for a moment she regained her old fire. "As if!" But like a fire without fuel to burn, it died down again. "All the same it feels like I'm stuck in a rut and haven't learned anything much in a long time."_

_Her companion stayed silent, somewhat at a loss for words. What could he say, after all? He hadn't faced the same obstacles she had. Anything approaching encouragement would be nothing short of patronizing. The one thiing he could do was..._

_"I'm still fighting you with everything you've got, you know. so don't expect me to start holding back on you."_

_"I know —" for a moment she flashed him a brief smile, "— and thanks." She sighed heavily, "I chose this path as a swordsman. I'm just going to have to suck it up and keep training."_

_"Training only works if you're doing the right thing, Kuina."_

_Both of them jumped and turned around to see Koshiro at the top of the steps. They hadn't realized that he had been listening in on their conversation. _

_"Father, what should I be training then?"_

_His spectacles gleamed as he smiled mysteriously. "A very special kind of training."_

_Koshiro looked at the two upturned faces, full of curiosity and smiled even more._

_"Have you ever heard of Ichii, the blind kimono-maker?"_

* * *

The tea had been poured and the little sweet cakes set out for their visitor. Zaito-san was an old customer of Ichii's, and did not rush in to do business, but instead regaled the two women with tales of his travels as he transported merchandise.

"The Pirate-Hunter Zoro eh?" Ichii-san said as she sipped at her tea. "Such an outlandish name that boy has now."

Zaito-san nodded at the kimono-maker. "He has gathered quite a reputation for himself as a bounty hunter."

"Still... a common bounty hunter. Not quite what I thought that Koshiro's star student would end up being."

Kuina tried to ignore the sudden jab at her emotions. It hurt not to be remembered as the star student.

But thinking of Zoro only made it worse. She hadn't heard anything of him since he had gone. And he wasn't the type to write.

They had both known it then.

But that didn't keep her from wondering how far ahead of her he had gotten. It had been almost two years since that day he had left the village to become the greatest swordsman in the world.

* * *

_The young man who stood in front of the kimono-maker's house had since towered over the Kuina in height. Zoro's growth spurt had transformed him, seemingly overnight, from a small scary upstart to tall, scary swordsman. His twin katanas slung at his hip, and he walked with an almost swaggering confidence that only came with youth's limited experience._

_Since Kuina had taken up the apprenticeship at Ichii-san's, they hadn't sparred. Despite all that, they still met every day after her day's work (Kuina called it slavery) to talk shop._

_As for the reason why they didn't spar any more? Ichii had been against the idea._

_"No apprentice of mine is going to be distracted from her work," Ichii san had solemnly declared, "If you want to learn what I have to teach you, you follow my way, or not at all."_

_Kuina had almost walked out then. But a word with her father had convinced her that what Ichii could give her was worth putting aside her dream for a few years to attain, and if she willed it, the apprenticeship need not be permanent anyway. _

_It had been hard. Ichii was not an easy master to please, and had insisted on controlling much of what Kuina was allowed to do, down to the way she dressed. Shirts and shorts were not acceptable wear for a kimono-maker's apprentice, the old woman had said. Kuina was a girl and should be dressing like one and it was a disgrace that a girl should run around with clothes meant for a boy and so on and so forth. _

_So in the blink of an eye, gone were the old, comfortable, sporty clothes she used to wear, and in came a plethora of long robes and feminine wraps in their stead._

_It had to be admitted Zoro had done a double-take the first time he'd seen her wearing them. _

_"You really do look like a girl now," had been his rather untactful pronouncement._

_"You really do look like an absolute idiot!" had been Kuina's, after she had pounded him a few lumps on the head in response. Zoro had learned quickly to never tease her regarding this change ever again. _

_"So how are you holding up?"_

_"Well... Ichii-san is...strict. And she fusses about all these stupid things. And I can't practise my sword-fighting. And I have to do sewing." Kuina complained as she exhibited her fingers, blotchy with red spots where her needle had missed the mark. __"She insists if I keep doing it I'll be able sew without having to depend on sight. It's ridiculous!"_

_"Do you really believe it can be done?"_

_"Sew without seeing?" __Kuina looked thoughtful for a while. "I don't know, Zoro. When I think about it seems it's impossible, but yet —"_

_"— that old hag can do it?"_

_"Yes. Ichii-san can do it. And she's blind! Just like me! She walks around this place, no cane, no guides, nothing, yet she always seems to know where everything is and what exactly is going on. As if she can see..."_

_They sat in silence for a while. It almost seemed like old times again, minus the watermelon slices._

_"Kuina," Zoro said at last, "I came up here to tell you something."_

_She knew that it had been coming for a while. _

_"You're leaving." It was not a question, but a statement._

_"I made a vow to the be the greatest swordsman in the world," Zoro explained, as if she needed reminding. "And I found out the other day that the greatest swordsman in the world is this guy called Hawk-Eyes Mihawk."_

_"What a name..." she mumbled, trying not to sound jealous._

_"He's out there in the Grand Line somewhere, Kuina. I'm going to find him. And I am going to defeat him."_

* * *

"Imprisoned by the Marines?"

"Yes. Seems that he ran afoul of Captain Morgan over at the Shelltown Marine Base. They have him there," Zaito-san elborated further.

"But what has he done?"

Kuina could not think of any reason for it. Granted, Zoro could be a idiot sometimes, but to have done something that brought him into such trouble with the Marines... wasn't being a bounty hunter at least working for the side of the law?

"Attacked the Captain's son apparently."

"Thought the boy would be smarter than that," Ichii commented. But even as she voiced her disapproval her sightless eyes were focused on Kuina, as if gauging her response. "Does Koshiro know?"

"Not yet. It gets worse. Last I heard that they were planning to execute him."

Kuina nearly dropped her teacup.

* * *

"_So, you're leaving today?" Zoro had come to say goodbye for the last time before he set out on his great journey. Kuina tried to be happy for him._

_If Zoro hadn't been as obtuse emotionally as he was, he might have noticed her act was not altogether convincing._

_"Are you sure you don't want to come along? It'd be great to have a sparring partner again." _

_The offer was tempting, but __Kuina shook her head. "I'm only beginning to learn what I needed to from Ichii-san. I'm on the cusp of understanding how she does it. It would be a waste of the past few years if I left now. "_

_"I understand."_

_The wind blew, and they could hear the flapping of the hung fabrics drying in the sun._

_"In that case... goodbye, Kuina. See you out there. Remember, you promised!"_

_As he turned to leave, Kuina watched him go, her heart burning with both regret and envy... and something else. _

_"Zoro, wait!"_

_She didn't know what possessed her to do it. As she ran into her room and out again, in her arms she carried something wrapped in a white cloth. Wordlessly she handed it to the puzzled Zoro._

_He unwrapped it to reveal her white katana. The meitou that was hers to inherit: the Wadou Ichimonji._

_"Zoro-kun, take this with you."_

_Zoro's eyes widened. "Kuina, this is... why are you giving this to me?" _

_Years of training had honed her perception of the intangible, and she immediately realized the misdirection Zoro's thoughts had taken. _

_"It's not because I have feelings or anything like that for you, you idiot!" she said with an exasperated whack on Zoro's head._

_This greatly relieved the moss-headed youth. It wasn't that Zoro wasn't fond of Kuina, but she was more like a sister to him, and if she had suddenly gone all mushy and emotional... he wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle it._

_"It's just that well... I'm afraid, Zoro," Kuina confessed. _

_Sensing his puzzlement, she elaborated further. "I'm afraid of becoming too comfortable here. Ichii-san is teaching me a lot, I'm learning a lot. I know this place so well now I don't feel helpless — everyone accepts who they think I am and — even I..." she trailed off, as if disturbed by her own happiness. "I'-Im afraid of becoming too contented. Of becoming contented and happy and having that will make me forget that I want to be the greatest swordsman in the world."_

_"But why give the katana to me? Are you giving up?"_

_"NO!" _

_Kuina struggled for the right words to say. "It's hard to explain. It's... it's like this, ok? That katana is my most precious possession. It's been in my family for generations. The only way I can be sure I'm going to take the plunge and go after you when I am ready is if I send my katana ahead with you first. Then I'd have no choice but to force myself to leave this place and go claim it back when the time is right. _

_"You made a promise to be the greatest swordsman in the world, Zoro. When you do become the greatest and I'll just have to find you and defeat you to get that title and get my katana back. And If you don't make it, I'll have to find the person who beat you and get the katana from them and become the greatest swordsman in the world. _

_"Either way if I'm going to fulfill my dream, my katana has to go with you now!"_

_Zoro looked at her for a moment, then nodded, and slung the katana at his haramaki along with his other two._

_"I'll take good care of it," he promised. "Don't take too long!"_

_"Don't you dare break it!" she yelled after him._

_With a final wave, and he was gone._

_"And..." Kuina said softly to herself, "if I don't come after you, I don't deserve that katana anyway."_

_She stood there as Zoro walked into the distance, and wondered when she suddenly sensed his presence veering off the road to the harbour and into a rice field._

_"Odd..." she muttered to no one in particular, "I didn't know there was a shortcut that way."_

* * *

_In the distance, Zoro walked blithely along, deep in thought with his new possession in hand. Suddenly he looked up and realized he was in the middle of a vast field with no road in sight._

_"Where did they move the roads again?" he grumbled._

* * *

"You are going after him, aren't you?" Ichii-san's eyes were narrowed as she stood in the doorway of Kuina's room and listened to her packing. "You haven't learned everything I have to teach yet, young lady. You know that."

"We made a promise," Kuina said, intent on her packing. "Zoro is like a brother to me, if he lets this keep him from becoming the world's greatest swordsman, it wouldn't be right."

"And you know even with what you've learned, you will still have trouble finding your way? It's not the same when it's an unfamiliar place and the sounds are all different. And how are you even going to handle the Marines?"

"I will learn to manage."

"There is no stopping you is there?" Ichii-san sighed, "but then... there was no stopping me when I left my home island either."

The old lady paused, as if lost in a reverie. Then she smiled. "I've already arranged for Zaito-san to give you a lift... at least as far as Shelltown."

"Ichii-sama!"

"Make sure you act like a lady. I didn't train you up for nothing, you know."

* * *

The goodbyes were said, the preparations made. Even father had understood and given his blessing. Zaito-san was very good about it all, and kept asking her if she was comfortable, and made sure that her luggage and the parasol that Ichii-san had insisted she bring with her was safely in the middle of the cart and not to hesitate to tell him if she needed anything.

As Kuina sat on the traveller's cart, waiting for Zaito to start, the spirit of adventure was beginning to course through her veins. She was off at last!

"You've better not die before I get there, Zoro," She thought as the cart jolted along the dusty village road. "Or I'm going to be really annoyed."

And with that, Kuina, formerly the kimono-maker's apprentice and now wandering traveller, faced back for the last time at the house where poles upon poles of brightly coloured silk fluttered in the breeze.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

_**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I am quite overcome but the number of positive responses, to be honest, and they really are encouraging. I'm writing this to practice my somewhat rusty writing skills, so any pointers and concrit would be most welcome.**_

_**Some quick responses to comments people left:**_

_**Ilex Crataegus**: I love how you brought that black armband into the story that it makes sense :) _

**A: Thanks! I've often wondered about that bandanna myself. Oda hasn't explained it yet, so I figured it would be fun to come up with an explanation of my own.**

* * *

_**FlareKnight**__: Seeing the flashbacks of her made it clear that her dying was just too tragic. Sure the world is full of that but doesn't mean I can't prefer her to have survived._

**A: I've often thought it was as shame Kuina died just like that. I liked her character a lot. I'm still curious to see what role Tashigi is going to play in her whole uncanny resemblance to Kuina thing. It's going to be even more interesting if Kuina hadn't died now...**

* * *

_**Infinite Freedom**: Will Kuina be joining the Straw Hats?_

**A: At the present I don't have any plans for it. I will have to see how the story plays out. Despite this fanfic being in an alternate universe, I'd like to keep it as close to the spirit of the original as much as possible, and adding Kuina to the Strawhats would change the demographic of the crew. So this is something I'm reluctant to do unless I can figure out a way to keep it from spoiling the whole thing. Besides, it is more challenging to write this without resorting to the usual "xxx joins the crew" trope.**


	4. Pirates, Parasols and Painted Faces

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Pirates, Parasols and Painted Faces**

* * *

_"I can't die here! I have things do to... a promise to keep!"_

Zoro stared at the strange rubber boy who had somehow, beyond all odds, managed to regain his lost swords AND block a hailstorm of bullets meant for him. His attention was focused most of all, on Kuina's white katana, the most treasured of all his katana. He had almost resigned to never seeing it again. And facing the ugly consequences if — no, _when _Kuina finally caught up and found out he had lost it.

"Well? Do you want to die here?" asked the straw-hatted rubber boy as the bullets he had blocked miraculously bounced off him and back at the firing squad.

The marines were still stunned, but could not be counted to remain so for long. He could see some of them drawing their standard-issue cutlasses already.

The choice he had to make balanced on the edge of a knife, and finally, he made it.

"Are you the child of the devil?" Zoro said with a chilling grin rather reminiscent of a shark. "Forget it. Rather than die here, I'll accept your deal and become a pirate."

And with that, a line was crossed.

* * *

Out in the Four Blues, she would find him. Somehow.

This was the thought in Kuina's mind as she made her way from the Shelltown Marine Base to the inn by harbour, her brow furrowed with worry.

A few of the townspeople turned their heads to glance at the young woman elegantly sashaying her way down the busy streets, with a dazzlingly pretty parasol over her shoulder to shield her from the cruel afternoon sun.

"A real lady," they said to themselves, "Look at that fine kimono! You don't see many young girls wearing those nowadays. And look at the way she walks. Small, delicate steps, with her powdered face and eyes glancing demurely downwards..."

Which was all ineffable rubbish and twaddle, really. Ichii-san had advised her against advertising her handicap to strangers who might seek to take advantage of her, so Kuina had been obliged to- as much as she hated having gunk on her face- paint her face and train her hair as to hide her burn scars and the tell-tale opaque eyes. She was walking slowly because she was finding it hard going. The marketplace was thronging with people and extremely noisy, making the use of Ichii-san's technique to listen and sense the direction of objects difficult.

But she was managing, albeit slowly. The problem now was she had hit a dead end with regards to the location of Roronoa Zoro.

She and Zaito-san had arrived in Shelltown just that morning. Her first instinct had been to run to the marine base, find Zoro, and break him out. That idea was quickly overridden by the mental image of Ichii-san's scowl telling her she was an idiot for even thinking so. Indeed, Kuina had since learned the value of discretion and diplomacy. As much as she still disliked it, there was a point to trying the soft approach first.

So she pretended to be a curious tourist and wandered over the the execution grounds to gather more information.

After the initial scare at finding the execution grounds empty, she had been much relieved and mortified to find her journey had been rather pointless. In fact, according to an amiable young marine recruit who was cheerfully sweeping the grounds, Roronoa Zoro had left town almost a week ago, very much alive.

The relief had lasted only as long as until she found out WHO Zoro had left Shelltown with.

"A pirate?"

With great effort Kuina kept her voice calm as the chubby young recruit rambled on. Once she had initiated conversation, he really was quite a chatterbox.

"Yeah, there was this great fight about a week ago. Helmeppo was going to back out of his deal to release Zoro if he survived, and Luffy — that's the pirate with the straw hat I mentioned — made a deal with Zoro to get him his swords back if he'd become a member of his crew."

"COBY! Get back to work! You're supposed to the clearing the grounds, not flirting with young girls with parasols!"

The marine officer's appearance had been most unfortunate, because "Coby" was thus unable to provide her with any further information and after a few stammered apologies and a red face, resumed his sweeping.

With nothing left to go on, she thanked him and headed back to the inn where Zaito had checked in, even more troubled than when she had arrived.

* * *

Zoro sneezed.

"You've been sneezing all morning," commented Usopp.

"Yeah, what a pain." Zoro had thought the portion of the deck near the cannons of their brand new ship, the _Going Merry _would be a great place for a nap, but as it turned, the cannons held an irresistible fascination for the pointy-nosed youth, and Zoro's hints that he wanted to be left alone hadn't quite gotten through.

"Maybe someone's talking about you," Usopp muttered as he played around with the cannon.

Zoro flashed a boastful grin. "Probably those cat pirates we saved your village from." He wished he had had a chance to fight Kuro back at syrup village. That man had had the feel of a challenging swordsman. It would have been a good test of his skill. And a sword on each of his fingers — why hadn't he thought of that?

And there Kuina was always saying that he, Zoro, was obsessed with having more swords than a person should be able to handle. Imagine if she had been there and met that Kuro guy, her jibes would have caused that uptight fake butler to pop a vein, even if his crazy attack allowed him to move faster than the eye could see —

Suddenly, he frowned.

"Why are you looking at me so scary-like for?" yelped Usopp.

Zoro ignored him. He had remembered something.

* * *

Back at the inn, Kuina listened to the inn-keeper's little daughter play as she sipped a cup of green tea. Zaito had gone about to do whatever it was that traders did, most likely realise his consignment of fine kimonos and gather new goods to transport to the next town. Kuina, having made her way back on her own without incident, was fuming.

It had been all too clear what had happened. Zoro had gotten in trouble, was about to be executed when some unscrupulous pirate on the lookout for more muscle for his crew had seized the opportunity. Blackmailing Zoro into joining his crew like that — that was unfair to say the least.

In her mind the image of this "Straw-Hat Luffy" became to take shape: A sly, conniving pirate relying on his cunning mind and hired muscle to get by. To think that Zoro had fallen into the clutches of a such a scoundrel!

The worst thing was all was the knowledge that it was probably her katana that had induced Zoro into giving in to this pirate. Kuina knew Zoro well enough to know he wouldn't care so much about losing his two common katana (or even his life), but losing the Wadou Ichimonji was another matter entirely. So, indirectly this was her fault.

She gritted her teeth. No, she would not accept this. There had to be some way of getting Zoro out from under the yoke of a such a dishonourable brigand, and she, Kuina was going to find it.

Of course, that would involve actually finding Zoro. And the problem was, she had no idea where he was now.

* * *

"Beautiful!" enthused the clothing store-keeper as Zaito uncovered the lid of the kimono-box.

"Fine silk from Silver Silk Island, West Blue. Hand stitched by the House of Ichii here in East Blue. This one is in particular, very finely made."

"Indeed. When I ordered them I didn't realize they'd be this fine. I think I might keep this one for my wife," the merchant confided with a surreptitious glance at Zaito, "haven't been in her best books lately."

The old man clucked in sympathy. "Matrimony at home is a delicate balance."

The trader was about to reply when he suddenly started and stared in amazement into the distance. Puzzled, Zaito turned to look behind at the ocean. What he saw made him take a step back in horror.

"Is that a Jolly Roger on that ship?"

"I think I'll be closing the shop early today," said the store-keeper nervously.

The figure of the traveling merchant was already hurrying away towards the direction of the inn.

* * *

Kuina was on her third cup of tea when Zaito-san burst into the inn, more terrified than Kuina had ever sensed him to be.

"Zaito-san, what is it?"

"Pirates. We should get away from the harbour quickly!"

"Pirates?"

The owner of the inn, a woman, looked skeptical. "We have a marine base here, surely no pirate would be mad enough to..."

A resounding crash interrupted her as a young marine crashed through the door, sending wooden splinters flying asunder. He landed hard, and did not get up again. Judging from his pained gasps, he seemed to have suffered some sort of chest injury.

"How disappointing," an out-of-place but melodic voice came from outside. "I was expecting a bigger challenge than that from the Marines."

Kuina stood up, her hand reflexively reaching for her parasol. Zaito drew back from the door, placing himself between her and the door as the owner of the voice strode into the inn as if she owned it.

Later, Kuina would reflect, based on the another eye-witness's description of the pirate, on how ridiculous she must have looked.

"That pirate? She was dressed from head to toe — in black leather of all things! Even the skirt! Well, I'd say "dressed" but that's a generous term for it, really. Honestly, her outfit? Just a leather bikini top, that leather skirt, and high heeled boots — you know the type which goes up to your hips? Must've been really uncomfortable... uh — so I heard. Weapons? Yes, had quite a few, didn't she? Let's see... there was that holster with that pistol — well I _think_ it was a flintlock pistol —anyway she wore that thing strapped to her left thigh, and she had another on her right shoulder. Oh, and she had pair of those exotic ji-lian swords* too. If you ask me, the extra guns seem rather like overkill, don't you think? 'Course, I might be a little biased, having seen the business end of them and all...

"Oh yeah, she was sporting a black headband with artificial cat ears. I have no idea why she was wearing those — I mean she had this haircut with heavy bangs, and she even tinted 'em with red streaks! And she had to keep tossing her head to keep her hair out of her eyes — which were red, by the way. Weird, huh?

"How old was she? Not too sure myself, but I don't think she could have been older than fifteen."

But Kuina had not had the luxury of a narrator at that very moment, so her first impression of the owner of the voice had been:

"What are you two doing? Get me a drink to celebrate my victory!"

If Kuina could see she would have thought that the two pirates who followed in her wake were dressed rather oddly; in fact they would have reminded her of cats. Judging from their hushed whispers they weren't too fond of the girl either, she could hear their muttered complaints from where she stood:

"... can't believe who she thinks she is!"

"What is the captain about, even considering her as first mate?" said the first, whose deep, purry voice and heavy, square build made him reminiscent of a rather fat and scruffy Persian cat.

"If you ask me," said the second, whose sharp and mewling voice suggested a Siamese feline counterpart, "Captain Kuro hasn't been the same since he got beaten up by that straw hat pirate kid."

At that last sentence, Kuina's attention was suddenly piqued. _Straw-Hat?_

In an instant her mind started racing. The odds of there being two pirates well-known for wearing straw-hats were very slim. And this Kuro had fought him recently... if she could find out where maybe she would be able to get a lead on the whereabouts of Zoro!

Before she could react to obtain more information, however, the nightmare girl had whirled around angrily and glared at the offending pirate underling.

"I heard that," she snarled. "Don't you think I don't know you're doubting my ability because I'm a girl!"

With that last word, she lashed out with her ji-lian, catching the siamese cat-like pirate and sending him crashing into the bar counter with great force.

"I, Kitty Raven the Hunter, will be the greatest swordswoman who will also be the most beautiful queen of the pirates, more than that overrated Shinchibukai empress Boa Hancock! And Captain Kuro will fall in love with me and make me his first mate!"

Other than the illogical run-on career progression of greatest swordsman - queen of the pirates - first mate of some pirate that "Kitty" seemed to have planned, Kuina couldn't help but wonder who this Captain Kuro was and why in Four Blues did he even have such an annoying admirer? Inwardly Kuina cringed and hoped fervently that she herself had never sounded that conceited in pursuit of her own dream.

But deep inside, she knew of one time when she came close to it.

* * *

_It had all started out with an argument shortly after she had arrived at the kimono-maker's house. She had had a visit from Zoro as usual, and they had talked about being the greatest swordsmen in the world again. As usual. All had been fine until it was time for Zoro to go home and her time help with preparations for dinner._

_She'd been keeping quiet, doing her part, when out of the blue, Ichii-san had spoken out._

_"So, you actually believe you can be the world greatest swordsman?"_

_"Yes, and don't tell me I can't!" She had snapped back. She had always been particularly sensitive on that point. In her short lifetime, being surrounded by naysayers and being repeatedly told that she would never be able to realize her dream, had made that phrase something of a taboo for her._

_Ichii-san had been silent after that, but she could tell that the old woman had heard her retort. It wasn't much of a surprise to her afterwards when Ichii-san spoke again. "You do realize that you will still lose out in brute strength to a male swordsman, no matter how hard you train, do you not?"_

_She gritted her teeth. She was so tired of hearing this!_

_"I'm going to be the world greatest's swordsman! And no one is going to tell me different!" she snarled._

_"Yelling at your elders is not how a lady acts, Kuina." _

_Now she was being patronizing. __"What would you know?" Kuina ignored the directive not to yell. "What would an old kimono woman obsessed about being ladylike know about swordsmanship anyway?" _

_Everyone was staring at her now, and she knew it. And it made her angrier than ever. _

_"__All you do is stay here and wallow away in obscurity!"_

_"That is enough, Kuina," Ichii-san said quietly. There was a new tone to Ichii-san's voice that Kuina hadn't heard before. It sent a chill down her spine. But some horrible impulse kept her defiant._

_"No it isn't!"_

_"Yes it is. I don't like my apprentices making fools of themselves by talking about things they don't understand as if they did."_

_This really was too much. She knew she was a bad seamstress . She was a bad cook. And she was blind and despite being over sixteen and from a fairly rich family, no boy was ever going to marry her. Not that she cared about such things anyway. _

_But if there was thing she DID know about, it was swordmanship. And here was some snobby old woman telling her she didn't?_

_"DON'T TELL ME I DON'T UNDERSTAND SWORDSMANSHIP YOU OLD HAG!"_

_The silence that followed her outburst was deafening. It was a full minute before Ichii-san voice broke the tense atmosphere._

_"You have a sword, don't you? I believe I saw it when we were throwing away your old clothes."_

_"You're not confiscating it," she instinctively moved towards her room. "It's my family's meitou."_

_"A poor swordsman attaches far too much importance to his sword," Ichii said disapprovingly, "nevertheless, go get it and come see me in the drying yard."_

_"What are you planning to do with it?"_

_Ichii-san voice sounded irritated. "Isn't it obvious, girl?" the old woman walked over to her sewing basket. "I'm challenging you to a duel."_

* * *

"B-but —" stammered the siamese cat pirate, wincing where the ji-lian had scored gashes similar to what had happened. "I wasn't the one who said that..."

"Whatever," drawled the girl, "that'll teach you a lesson for disrespecting me — _WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"_ The second sentence was directed at the other pirate, who despite his bulk, had until then had been doing a rather stealthy job of sneaking away.

"I was just checking!" whimpered the fat cat. "Besides, I think Captain Morgan Axe-Fist would be at the marine base, not in this inn here..."

"Oh that's right." said Kitty with a yawn. "I have to kill that Morgan guy who got famous from 'capturing' Captain Kuro to become first mate. Captain Kuro said so."

"You... won't find... him there." The marine who had been thrown in had regained consciousness, and despite his injuries, was drawing his cutlass. "Court martialled... Commander Ripper is in charge now."

"I guess I'll just have to settle for killing HIM then. That should get me a nice bounty." drawled the pirate.

"He's a good captain... and I'm not letting you kill him!"

Kitty laughed. "You actually think you can beat me?"

"I won't let you hurt any more people!"

With that the marine charged at the pirate, who contemptuously engaged the injured man.

"Kuina, quickly!" Zaito-san whispered. The inn-keeper had already bundled her daughter out of the inn and Zaito was whispering for her to follow. With a jolt, she realized that the distraction was probably what the marine had been hoping to accomplish with his otherwise ill-conceived fight with Kitty.

"But Zaito..." she was protesting at leaving the marine to be killed, but her feet were obediently following Zaito out of the inn, until —

The shot of the flintlock pistol was unexpectedly loud.

Kuina cringed, expecting to hear the marine's dead body hitting the floor. But she could only hear him holding his shoulder where the shot had grazed him.

The shot fired by Kitty, who had for some reason switched from her swords, had almost missed him. And gone on to hit the next thing in its path.

"ZAITO-SAN!"

She couldn't see the red blood that was rapidly staining the old man's grey and white robe, but she could hear the sound as he slumped to the floor, a victim of the pirate's stray shot. Kuina froze in horror. This couldn't be happening... not Zaito-san who was always so kind and considerate... and it was all her fault that they had come here.

Red. The memory of the colour of blood, in her mind's eye. Everything was turning red.

_This couldn't be happening..._

* * *

_"This couldn't be happening!" she had thought, as she lay with her back against the flagged stonework of the drying yard. It was one thing to lose to Zoro in an honourable fight, but to be beaten so decisively with so little effort — it shouldn't have been possible._

_Despite her handicap, she had the vitality of youth, and years of hard training, and a far superior weapon in the Wadou Ichimonji. It was inconceivable that she should be beaten by an equally blind old woman armed with sewing scissors as if she were some bumbling beginner._

_To reiterate — with a pair of sewing scissors._

_"Hmph. Back in your tomboy outfit again. It makes such an unattractive sound when it moves," Ichii-san had sniffed at her earlier when she had showed up at the drying yard in her exercise clothes and with the Wadou Ichimonji under her arm. "At least you're not ruining one of your komons*."_

_"Let's just get on with it," Kuina grumbled in reply, "where's YOUR sword? I can't hear it."_

_Ichii-san smiled thinly. "I decided that these were adequate." _

_The snip-snip sound of the implements were too familiar to Kuina's ears for her to not recognise them._

_"You're fighting me with sewing scissors?"_

_"Actually they are still overkill, but I'll make it easy for you. If you can cut my kimono, you win the duel. If you lose, you spend dinner time mending everyone's torn clothes."_

_"Now you're just insulting me." _

_Kuina gritted her teeth as she took her position and eased the Wadou from its sheath._

_"Enough delay. Hurry up so I can get back to making dinner," Ichii continued, unruffled._

_The old woman stood there, the absurd scissors clasped to her chest. At the back of Kuina's mind, she knew there was something unusual with the kimono-maker's stance and she should beware, but she was far too angry to think now. The katana flashed in her hand as for once, she attacked first, with more ferocity that she ever remembered having._

_Cut the kimono? She would cut it into ribbons! She would —_

_She nearly lost her balance as her katana was parried by Ichii's scissors. She barely recovered herself in time to dodge Ichii's counter attack. With scissors._

_Shaken, Kuina quickly backpedalled and put some distance between the old woman and herself. The shock had dissipated her anger and she was beginning to think._

_Common sewing scissors should not have been able to stand up to the fire-folded steel blade. In fact, her katana should have just sliced through the inferior metal. And they weren't special scissor blades. She had handled those scissors enough times to know that they were just that. Common scissors for cutting cloth._

_How were they different when Ichii held them?_

_"No brooding!" Ichii-san's voice was gleeful as she sprinted forward in a flurry cascade of coloured silk. _

_Kuina could hear the fluttering fabric. If she could just cut it with her katana she could win, but the maddening thing was Ichii was on the offensive and all she could do was defend. How could an old woman strike so hard? Even Zoro's blows never had this much force behind them._

_"Overlock Onslaught!" Ichii was moving so fast, it was as if the world was spinning in a spiraling shower of stabbing scissors, with Kuina herself desperately parrying for dear life as the attack quickened in pace. With a sinking feeling she knew she couldn't keep this up. She had to counter or one of the attacks would slip through._

_Finally, Ichii-san seemed to tire and Kuina seized her chance. No more holding back. No more mercy. She lunged forward._

_And the Wadou Ichimonji cut through air, striking nothing._

_Too late! Something concentrated gouged into her from the side with so much force she could hear her ribs crack and the breath forced out of her lungs. She was flying through the air, her katana flying from her grip to noiselessly embed itself into the wall._

_She landed flat on her back on the flagged stone floor, gasping in pain from the burning sensation from her side. _

_Kuina could hear the clang of a pair of scissors being dropped near her._

_"No dinner for you then, it looks like." The old woman's voice had a ring of amused triumph in it._

_Ragged gasps were the only replies Kuina could muster. This couldn't be happening._

_"You're... swordsman."_

_"A true swordsman would have realized it even before they drew their sword," Ichii-san said as she turned to head back into the house. "I told you, didn't I? You don't know as much about swordfighting as you think you do."_

_It was beginning to rain. Kuina could feel the faint patter of the droplets as they made contact with her upturned face._

_"Is this the part —" she had finally caught her breath enough to speak longer sentences again. " — where you tell me a blind girl can never be the world's greatest swordsman?"_

_"I didn't say that," Ichii's voice sounded slightly amused. "But if you go on fighting the way you fight right now, I doubt you ever will."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because you are depending on brute strength and sheer speed to fight, and if you pitt yourself against a man of equal skill, you will still lose."_

_Tears streamed down Kuina's cheeks. "No! I won't accept it! I won't accept it!"_

_"Men are stronger than women physically. You should accept it."_

_"No!" Zoro's face appeared in her mind. She had made a promise. Not even the loss of her sight could induce her to give it up. "I will be the world's greatest swordsman one day. I am not giving up!"_

_"Who is asking you to give up?" Ichii-san paused at the doorway, as the low rumble of thunder was accompanied by the heavy drops of an autumn shower. "I'm just trying to get you to understand that as a girl, to achieve your dream, you're going to have to stop trying to fight like that boy. Instead, learn what it is that women are stronger than men at and focus on that."_

_And with that, Ichii-san entered the house, leaving a much humbled girl behind in the pouring rain._

* * *

"Bah, I missed — wasted my bullets. Never mind, I'll finish you off with my swords."

The pirate Kitty the Raven Hunter advanced on the beaten marine, grinning like a mad cat —

— and was promptly hit in the face with a teacup that had come hurtling across the room.

"WHO THREW THAT?" the pirate-girl, unaccustomed to such indignities, screamed in rage.

Both the fat cat pirate and his skinny counterpart pointed at figure at the doorway.

Kuina stood there, her unseeing eyes somehow focused on the object of her hatred, the outside light giving her the appearance of being incandescent with rage.

"It is dishonourable," said Kuina coldly, "for a swordsman to continue fighting against an opponent who has already been beaten. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? You are no swordsman. You're not even a marksman. You're just an ill-mannered wench with too many toys who doesn't really know how to use them and doesn't care a whit about who gets hurt!"

"And what do I care?" sneered Kitty as she wiped green tea off her face. "What are you going to do, girly girl? Whack me with your umbrella?"

Kuina's mouth curved into a grim smile. "Something like that."

* * *

_She put the last if her possessions into her bag, and fastened the straps securely._

_"You shouldn't go unarmed," Ichii-san said, "there are bandits and pirates out there who won't give you any quarter, lady or not; blind or not."_

_"Yes Ichii-san. I am going to take leave of my father at the dojo first, and I will take one of the dojo swords from there with me."_

_"Don't bother. Take this." _

_With that Ichii-san proffered the parasol that she carried everywhere with her._

_The common observer would have thought this strange, but she, Kuina, who had lived with Ichii-san long enough knew that the parasol was no ordinary umbrella, accepted it reverently. It was very pretty, a pale white with scalloped edges and a pattern of red cherry blossoms and golden birds all over. It looked ordinary enough, except that it had a slightly thicker base than normal, was significantly heavier, and the tasseled handle was slightly different._

_"Draw it," commanded Ichii. _

_Kuina obeyed. __Carefully she drew the blade from the hidden sheath in the umbrella handle. _

_Even as she drew it she could sense that this was no ordinary sword. Its blade was straight, lacking the curved edge found in katanas. Even without her eyes she could sense there was something different about it. Unlike her Wadou, which had a perfectly straight and aligned hamon along the cutting edge, this entire blade was a fine mass of dappled bright silver and black-green lines, giving it the effect of rippling water whenever it caught the light._

_"It may only be a shikomizue*, but this sword is on par with many good katana," said Ichii. "It is made of a special damascened steel* smelted from ores which used to be found in the Grand Line. Its name is Koyojaku*. I had it for many many years when I travelled the world."_

_"It is beautiful."_

_"Yes. Perfect for a woman to wield. That blade is sharp and light, yet strong and supple and discreet. But all the same, take care of it, for the blade is more slender than that of a normal katana's, which means you can't be as rough with it. And keep it hidden when not in use. A lady does not have to advertise her wares." _

_This triggered a sudden snort of laughter from her protege._

_"And a lady does not snort, Kuina!"_

_"I apologize, Ichii-san," Kuina replied demurely._

* * *

"I am going to cut your face up until it's scarred bad," threatened Kitty, whirling her ji-lians around. "Let's see how your pretty dresses and high and mighty manners help you then!"

"You're a bit too late for that." Kuina stood where she was, holding Koyojaku, still sheathed, close to her chest.

"Forget it, you're not worth my killing. Sham! Buchi! Get rid of her!"

"Why?"

"Because if you don't I'll kill you!"

The two cat pirates seemed to be used to this treatment, for they came towards her, cringing in fear. At least that would be what one who looked at them would have thought. But to someone whose main input from the world came from sound, the cries of fear they gave rang false and phony, and she was ready. And right now, in her anger, she was in no mood for mercy.

_"Ittoryu: Running Stitch!"_

Kuina darted quickly toward them to avoid their 'surprise' attacks, and then weaved in between the two cats on their approach. As she ran past, she could sense the surprise of their faces, the half moment before both pirates crumpled, hands trying to staunch the flow of red that seemed to have come from nowhere.

"How?" the one called 'Sham' gasped as the pain from the cut began to override the shock. The stabbing movement of the needle-like sword flashing in and out of the sheath had been almost too fast to follow.

"BITCH!" bellowed Kitty, charging towards her and swinging her flashy twin swords hard in hopes of landing a hit on Kuina.

Kuina could feel the pounding of her feet against the wooden floor, the vibration telling her extended senses exactly where her opponent was. With such a clear indication, Kuina knew exactly what to do. And she did it.

Now, an experienced swordsman knows that the worst thing about swinging a sword wildly is swinging it wide. When that happens, much time is lost recovering one's balance from the first effort and executing a second try quickly is impossible. The other thing is that it leaves one completely open to attack.

In addition to this, charging is a terribly bad choice of attack because it takes a while to stop due to the inertia of the body running. It also makes one less observant than normal. A more controlled fighter who wasn't swinging wildly, for example, would have not have had their opponent dodge their attack by simply crouching to the side. And a non-charging attacker would certainly not have been unable to stop.

And if they had been able to stop, they would not have impaled themselves on the blade that their crouching opponent had simply extended.

* * *

Kitty lay gasping on the inn floor, her blood staining the weathered wood. "Not fair! I'll kill you —"

Kuina held the Koyojaku's point an inch away from Kitty's throat. "Don't go putting ideas into my head."

Kitty's eyes widened. "Please... my parents ruined my childhood... It's not my fault!"

"I don't see what that has to do with this at all."

"Kuina-chan," Zaito's feeble voice broke her out of her reverie. The old man was attempting to sit up from where he had fallen.

"Zaito-san! Are you hurt badly?" Relief didn't keep her from keeping a wary eye on the pirates, however.

"I will live, Kuina."

"You don't understand... No one understands..." Kitty whined.

Kuina ignored her and directed her attention to the other two pirates. She had done her best not to hit them at their vital spots, and thanks to that they seemed very much alive. They saw her focus on them, and shrank away at her unseeing gaze.

"...no one loves me!"

"This strawhat boy," Kuina said, raising her voice so it could be heard over Kitty's crying, "tell me where your Captain Kuro met him."

* * *

"Captain Kuro, sir?"

Kuro of a Thousand Plans, one of the most intelligent pirates in the four seas, had been sitting brooding in his cabin.

"Kitty hasn't come back. Neither has Sham and Buchi," his subordinate continued.

"As expected."

"But Captain Kuro sir, that means the marines beat them!"

"Good for the marines. It seems dear old Morgan was _that _capable after all."

"But sir, didn't you send them to kill him?"

"That's what I told her — to get rid of her! " snarled the bespectacled man. "Honestly, you imbeciles! Did you really think I would want such a useless floozy who shows up out of the blue and demands to be my first mate?"

The cat pirate was so scared he could only cower.

"Although," said Kuro, grinning as he pushed his slipping glasses back into place with his palm, "Ggod riddance. Don't you love it when everything goes according to plan?"

* * *

After the fight and things had calmed down, the innkeeper had insisted that she and Zaito stay at the inn to recover. Kuina was impatient to get going, but she knew that Zaito's injuries needed tending to.

"Thank you for taking care of Zaito-san," Kuina bowed to the innkeeper. "I'm sorry to have to burden you with my responsibilities."

"Don't be ridiculous," the innkeeper refused her effusive thanks. "After what you did about that pirate and all, it's the very least we could do."

"Well, you wouldn't happen to know if there is a boat that goes to Syrup Village, is there?"

"I'm afraid not. It isn't much of a popular port, but there are many merchant boats going to Loguetown, and some will pass by Syrup Village. You might be able to convince their captains to drop you off there."

"Thank you. I am in your debt."

Zaito sat up in bed, his wounded arm and chest covered in bandages. "Are you sure about this, Kuina-chan? "I am not quite sure what Ichii-san would say if they knew I let you travel on alone."

"I will manage, Zaito-san. Please get well soon."

"Kuina-chan, wait a moment," the old man picked up a black lacquered box on his bedside and offered it to the young woman. "It is customary for a young girl to receive this gift when she comes of age on her 20th birthday. I may have missed it by a year or two, but I would like you to have this, nevertheless."

It would have been rude to refuse. Kuina accepted the box. It felt familiar. Gently her hands lifted the cover.

The whole expanse of the Four Blues opened before her. There, in its box, in all its glory of watered silk and swinging sleeves... was the kimono she had sewn herself. Her favourite kimono.

"They say the great works require the creator to put a little bit of themselves into it to make them come alive," said Zaito, conversationally, "when I saw this kimono, I realized that a certain ambitious young woman had put so much of herself into it, it would be such a shame if such a work were to end up in the hands of someone who would not appreciate it."

"Zaito-san, this is too expensive a gift! I couldn't..."

"Kuina, whether you realize it or not, you've expressed your own dreams and desires in the making of this kimono. These things, you shouldn't let them go."

_Explore the different seas and the Grand Line, find Zoro, and become the greatest swordsman in the world..._

Kuina smiled, and hugged the kimono close to her chest. "I understand. Thank you, Zaito. Truly."

* * *

_Her hands travelled down the handle of the shikomizue, feeling characters carved into the hilt. "I-X-O-R-A?" she muttered aloud._

_Ichii-san smiled. "That was the name I used when I travelled the world — after I left my home island, and before I settled here..."_

_The was a pause._

_"Ichii-sama, why didn't you ever go back to your home island?"_

_"When you go out there Kuina, you will understand," her voice still seemed distant. "Once you go, you never travel backwards."_

* * *

Kuina left the inn behind and made her way through the streets of Shelltown and to the harbour. People were still talking about the Pirate Kitty's suicidal attack, most of them praising the marines for talking care of the menace so quickly.

Kuina didn't mind. Drawing attention to herself wasn't in her interest at the moment. Finding a boat was.

She paused to listen to the crying sounds of the gulls, the crashing sound of the waves in their incessant dance with the moon.

Somewhere out in the Four Blues, she would find Zoro. Somehow.

After all, she had many things to do and a promise to keep.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

***Chapter Footnotes:**

[1] **Ji-Lian** = Chicken-Claw Sickles. A type of sword where the point of the blade is shaped like a spear point combined with a sickle.

[2] **Komon** = A more casual make of kimono with fine patterning.

[3] **Shikomizue** = Sword-cane, usually a concealed blade disguised as something innocuous like a walking stick (same as what Brooke uses) or in this case, a parasol.

[4] **Damascened steel** = A special kind of compound steel made of two different types of steel hammered together multiple times. Supposedly, this gives the metal superlative qualities . Don Krieg's "indestructable" armor in the Baratie arc was made of Wootz steel, of which damascened steel, also known as Damascus steel, is a variant of.

[5] **Koyojaku** = Weaverbird.

_**Once again, thanks so much for the wonderful comments and reviews! They kept me going, especially at the parts where I would keep getting stuck.**_

_**This chapter was significantly harder to write, especially when trying to balance the dichotomy of Kuina's controlled "ladylike" facade and her natural tomboyish attitude. Fight scenes are always hard to write in an interesting manner when you don't have images to back you up. The extra amount of research I had to do didn't help speed things up either.**_

_**There's also a bit of gentle fun-poking at badly-written One Piece Mary Sues in the form of Kitty Raven. The original idea had been for Kuina to run into Kuro himself, but I figured Kuro was too smart a pirate to do something as stupid as walk into Shelltown and cause trouble. Using that excuse to get rid of an unwanted fangirl however... now THAT seemed like a very Kuro-like thing to do.**_

_**This chapter is a tribute to Zaitoichi, the famous blind swordsman of fiction which is one of the major inspirations for this fic. But I'm sure you all noticed this already, given the obvious naming of the characters Zaito-san and Ichii-sama. ;)**_

_**Some more responses to comments people left:**_

_**Infinite Freedom:**__ I seem to recall that Luffy wanted a swordsman for his crew. Zoro can't truly fulfil that position if he is the first mate. Thus Kuina could take that position. _

**A: **Erm... I don't quite understand why Zoro can't be both swordsman and First Mate at the same time. But if theoretically if Kuina were to join the crew (not saying I plan for her to, but just going logically along) it'd probably make more sense for her to be the tailor/swordsman #3 (after Brooke) given her kimono -making skills.

Hm. Nami would be overjoyed to have a personal tailor, for one. And Sanji would probably have a field day with another girl in the crew.

* * *

_**Aoihand: **__You're taking the characters on a interesting route and the idea of Kuinambeing 'ladylike' is intriguing, something along the lines of 'traditional mould' of a samurai (Although Zoro is noted for showing these aspects of honour)_

**A:** I have to admit, along the traditional lines, I really liked the idea of Zoro and Kuina growing up to be polar opposites in terms of sword-styles and appearances. Zoro's fearsome outward appearance hides his more traditional code of honour and compassion (As seen in the Sarbody arc) while Kuina's demure ladylike-facade hides her inner ferocity and dangerousness. Makes for a great contrast!

Lastly, I doubt anyone here follows TLS, but for halloween I did a quick artpiece of TLS characters in anime costumes, including One Piece. The link's at

**lonelypanel(dot)com/2009/10/happy-halloween(dot)html , if anyone cares to see.**


	5. The Hawk and the Partridge

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Hawk and Partridge**

* * *

_**Several Years Ago...**_

_"No matter how long it will take, I will become the world's greatest swordsman. And I will be waiting for you."_

To the locals of the small port town, the green-haired young man seemed lost. To be more precise, he seemed lost, tired, hungry and horribly afraid of being unarmed, for he was carrying not one, but _three_ swords. He was also possibly crazy, especially since he had started talking to himself in his food-deprived dementia.

"So I'm waiting," the newly-graduated dojo student said to himself miserably, "and I really wish you'd hurry up and catch up with me. It'd be a lot more fun to have someone who knew where to go and what to do — "

A loud rumble from his stomach interrupted his monologue.

" — and you'd probably have a better idea on how to get some money to buy a meal once your funds have run out."

His stomach agreed enthusiastically with him by emitting another loud growl. So loud in fact, that a passerby nearby jumped about a foot into the air in alarm and started looking around for a ferocious dog that didn't exist.

"I'm really hungry," Zoro groaned inwardly as he watched another pair of boots walk by. Unlike the others, this pair (dark blue and very ornate and patterned with studs) paused, and then stopped in front of him.

"That's a nice sword," the owner of the boots said. Zoro looked up to see the speaker, a tall, thin marine with tawny orange hair and a very prominent chin. He wore a white coat with "Justice" emblazoned upon the back. More importantly, he wore an empty scabbard at his waist. A swordsman apparently bereft of his sword.

"You seem down on your luck," noted the marine, scratching his sideburns, "but you also seem to have a surplus of swords. My sword broke on me in my last fight with a pirate, I need one for time being and I do dislike our standard-issue cutlasses. I'd be happy to help you out by buying that white katana off you." He pointed at the Wadou Ichimonji as he said this.

Instinctively, his hand closed over Kuina's sword. "Mister," Zoro said, his eyes narrowing, "I may be broke, but there's not a price you could offer that would make me give up that sword."

The marine did not seem remotely miffed at being rebuffed. "Ha! You really are a swordsman, after all! Well, I can respect that. Good luck to you then!" With that, he resumed his stroll, but not before flipping Zoro a fifty beri coin.

Zoro caught the coin by reflex. "Charity, huh?"

He scowled and was just contemplating throwing it at the back of the marine's head when his attention was arrested by a small group of pirates who had suddenly appeared (seemingly) out of the woodwork of the dock.

"Captain Diez!" bellowed the leader, brandishing a cutlass at the unarmed man, "you sent my brother to Impel Down! I've come to avenge him! Now that I've caught you outnumbered, prepare to die!"

While it was a wonder that he managed such a lengthy diatribe while charging at full speed, he never did manage to get much further than that. A green-and-white figure had streaked through the ranks of the pirates and decimated their onslaught even before it began.

"Granted that guy is kind of annoying, but what kind of dishonourable scum attacks an unarmed man from the back?" growled Zoro, his sword-point at the leader's throat.

"A fairly small fry of a pirate," said 'Captain Diez', who had been standing in a fighting stance, somewhat unconcerned considering how he had nearly been ambushed. "But you have my thanks. You've saved me having to ruin my favourite coat in a fight."

It was at this point when Zoro felt the overwhelming urge to throw the fifty-beri coin right into his hawk-nosed face.

"Oh, that lowlife you've just defeated is Carl S. Berg, and he has a bounty of 10,000 beri, if I recall correctly. It's not that much, but if you drop him off at your local East Blue marine outpost, I'm sure you could think of things to do with that reward money. Happy bounty hunting! Ta-Ra!" And with a wave, the poofy marine continued on his way, leaving Zoro with his pile of bodies.

"Bounty hunting, eh?" Zoro muttered to himself while hefting his new bounty onto his shoulder, "might as well as long as I'll be able to eat. All I'll have to do is find that marine outpost. That should be easy..."

Overhead, the gulls were laughing.

"...right?"

* * *

_**Back to the Present...**_

She felt sicker than she had ever been in her life.

Kuina imagined the small boat bobbing up and down on the waves, churning her insides along with it. Once in a while it would give an extra-hard smack against the waves and splash foamy seawater everywhere, as if to make things a little more interesting for her.

If you could call listening to pilot talking about the shoal of fish gleefully following the boat in hopes of getting more of her regurgitated lunch interesting, that is.

"I would have thought that being blind, sea-sickness wouldn't affect you as much," the young marine sailing the small fishing boat said cheerily. "My pops used to say that people got seasick 'cos they couldn't match up what they were seeing to what they were feeling, but I guess you just proved him wrong."

Considering that he was swathed in bandages, he was being unreasonably cheerful, she thought resentfully.

In fact it rather annoyed her at the moment. He didn't even have the decency to join her in on her seasickness! Young marines who get cut up by cruel cat-themed pirates had no business being chirpy and cheerful, even if they did seem to survive with no ill effects.

The spirit of misery loving company tends to override more rational thinking when one is seasick.

Though in all honesty, Kuina had never intended to head out to Syrup Village to find Zoro in the company of a marine. It had just happened.

She had gone searching for a merchant boat that would pass by Syrup Village. She hadn't been successful. Most of them weren't keen on wasting voyage time to stop at Syrup Village where, no one seemed to have any reason to go to. Not even for a cargo of syrup, it seemed.

Kuina had spent her second morning at Shelltown toying with the idea of buying a boat and sailing it herself. Upon the consideration of several points, which were:

A) She was blind (obviously) and probably would be hopeless at navigation.

B) She had no idea in which direction Syrup Village was.

C) Even if she did, the only thing she knew about sailing a boat was that you needed to have sails to do that. That was about it.

D) She couldn't afford a boat anyway. While she had brought a substantial sum with her in the form of the money she had saved while working for Ichii-san, she doubted she would have enough to buy more than a used dinghy and have any left over for her travels.

She came to the conclusion that overall, it was a bad idea.

That point — E) She was extremely prone to seasickness — was not a factor in this decision was mainly because at that time, she was not aware she was prone to this deficiency as she had never sailed in a boat that was in water deeper than a pond, and ponds had considerably smaller waves than the _freaking East Blue_.

Kuina had almost decided to swallow her pride and go back to ask Zaito-san for help when someone had called out to her in street.

"Hey! Miss Kimono! Wait up!"

It had turned out to the be young marine who had been defeated by the Kitty Raven-something-or-other-pirate at the inn. In truth she had been surprised to hear his voice, a slightly more familiar one amongst all the strange voices in Shelltown. Her impression of him the day before had been that he wouldn't be getting out of the infirmary for quite a while. As it was, she could hear the soft rasp of the linen bandages against his uniform, and his odd gait suggested while he appeared to be up and about, his injuries hadn't simply disappeared overnight.

"The name's Piers," the marine had introduced himself breathlessly when he had caught up to her on the street, "sea-man... first class... Piers. Just got promoted."

Kuina raised a painted-on eyebrow (Her real eyebrows had never really grown back properly after her burn accident). Running up to someone you didn't know and starting to talk about your recent promotion as such is wont to produce that kind of reaction.

"Uh — nice to meet you. You're the marine who..."

"You saved, yeah," Piers said. "Honestly, I didn't mean to take credit for what you did. Just — the medics said I hit my head too hard when I told them it was the girl in the kimono who beat that pirate and they said I ought to take a couple of weeks off and then I thought I should at least thank you and then I —" (Here he paused to catch his breath) " — I mean they were saying like: 'that girl doesn't have a sword' and 'killer deadly in a kimono haha are you serious?'... anyway I searched everywhere to find you and the inn-keeper said that you were looking for a boat to Syrup Village and so here I am."

Feeling a bit breathless herself after Pier's massive run-on introduction, Kuina couldn't help but wonder why he had taken so much trouble to find her just to thank her.

"So uh— you're most welcome, Piers-san."

There was a pause of awkward silence before Kuina remembered her manners.

"I am called Kuina."

Piers smiled and bowed deeply. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Kuina."

Another awkward pause followed.

"And uh— is there anything else I can do for you, Piers-san?"

The marine face-palmed.

"D'oh! Now haven't I gone and left out the whole point! Actually, it's kind of more like what I can do for _you, _Miss Kuina," Piers elaborated as he launched into another run-on explanation. "You see, before I became a marine I was kind of like, a fishman. I mean, not like a fish-man like those you find underwater but a err... a fisherman — well actually it was my pops who was the fisherman but I had to help him out so I guess that kind of makes me a fisherman too. Except I thought I'd rather be a heroic marine and all that. Except I'm not as good at fighting as I am at sailing, if you get my drift. Anyway, after my pops died I guess he left me his boat, I still keep it for my off-duty days. And since I've got a few weeks off and a boat, and I'm a pretty fair hand at handling a boat..."

"Piers-san is offering to bring me to Syrup Village?" Kuina breathed incredulously, hardly believing what was being handed to her out of the blue and on a silver platter to boot!

"There and anywhere you want to go," said Piers, beaming, "as long as I got leave."

"Seaman Piers," Kuina couldn't help but succumb to his infectious positivity, "I like you already."

* * *

An all-consuming obsession is something that people devoid of ambition are unable to understand. In fact, words do a very poor job of describing the sensation of being utterly possessed with a notion or an ideal, where everything else comes secondary.

For Roronoa Zoro, it drove him to train, and when he wasn't training he was always still thinking of ways he could train to improve his swordsmanship. An obsession is a very single-minded thing.

Once in a while the mind also expands to other topics which are frequently associated with the obsession. Sometimes, all of this focuses into a single symbolic goal. And for Zoro, the symbol of his achievement was finding and beating Hawk-Eyes Mihawk.

It irritated him that the barrier to this achievement so far wasn't even in fighting Mihawk, but _finding_ him. It really should not have been so hard, surely? But no, he'd spent years, trying to track down one single man, and always to no avail. So, when he'd heard that Hawk-Eye was to be found at the _Baratie_, it seemed as though all those years of search were finally drawing to and end. He would find Mihawk. And he would defeat him.

So he'd thought.

But as fate would have it, it had turned out to be a false lead. For one moment he'd despaired, and even had the mental image of Kuina finally catching up with him and snidely commenting: "You couldn't find him? What kind of stupid excuse is that?"

Of course, at the present, his effort to find Mihawk was being compounded by the fact they had been ship-jacked... by their own navigator, no less.

"She's the only one I want as my navigator!" Luffy was petulantly saying about the absconded Nami.

Why was his life always revolving around the pursuit of someone? First Kuina, then Mihawk, and then whatever pirate that he needed to get a bounty for (and eat). And to add insult to injury, now he had to go and get that witch of a redhead who also happened to be a thief and hijacker. Perhaps fate had ordained he would always be doomed to pursue someone relentlessly and fail.

"Captain Don Krieg!" a panicked pirate was screaming, "that's the man who destroyed our ships!"

"He only used his sword to cut their ships? That's impossible!"

It was a pity he couldn't stick around for the fun. As much fun as watching a lone swordsman take out an army of pirates was, he had a ship to retrieve and a wench of a—

_Dark hair, huge black sword... and piercing gold eyes like those of a hawk..._

Suddenly, Zoro's heart started thundering again.

"Is he...?"

In all the hubbub, Redleg Zeff, the chef of the Baratie seemed to be the only one unawed by the new arrival. "That's because he is Hawk-Eyes. The greatest swordsman in the world."

* * *

"That didn't turn out so well," Piers sighed.

Kuina shook her head. It was perplexing. They'd arrived at Syrup Village ("Dry land, at last!") and she'd gone to the village to ask about the Kuro Pirates' previous attack... only to be met with puzzled silence and a few giggles from the village kids.

"Pirate attack?" the woman manning village restaurant had echoed, with a tremble in her voice that suggested she was having trouble keeping a straight face. "I'm sorry, but there hasn't been any pirate attack here for as long as I can remember. As you can see, our village is peaceful."

"I... see," Kuina tried not to look too dismayed.

"There used to be a long-nosed kid who would go around lying to people about pirates attacking though," an old man having his lunch spoke up. "That's probably where you heard the rumour from." The old man then turned to the restauranteur and asked, "What happened to that Usopp boy anyway?"

"I heard he went off adventuring," she giggled, "although it could be one of his tall tales again."

The three kids in the corner burst into laughter at this. Kuina decided she had had enough, thanked the woman, and made her exit.

"What am I going to do?" she said into Pier's sympathetic ear, her head cupped in her hands as they both sat on a rock by the beach where they had anchored his little fishing boat. "I'm never going to be able to find him now."

"Sure you will," assured Piers, who was a rather comforting kind of guy. "We'll just have to find another clue that's all. I can help!"

Kuina flashed him a wan smile. It was quite difficult to stay depressed in the presence of the perky marine.

"So why are you looking for this Straw-hat pirate anyway?" Piers asked.

"It's not really him I'm after," Kuina lifted her head to face the sun. A normal person would be blinded by that action of looking into the sun, but for her at least, it had little consequence. "It's someone that he has with him whom I want to find."

"Oh, is he your boyfr —"

"No he is not," Kuina interrupted quickly, a hint of irritation in her voice, "closer to a brother."

"Oh," repeated Piers, "And he suddenly decided to go off pirating with Straw Hat-Luffy?"

"ZORO WOULDN'T BE A PIRATE! He's an honourable swordsman, he wouldn't — pirate — well he wouldn't!"

She could hear Pier's astonished silence at her vehement objection.

"Sorry," Kuina apologized, "I didn't mean to yell at Piers-san. It's just — thinking about it and feeling helpless to stop it makes me upset."

"It's not that," Piers sputtered once he had recovered from his astonishment. "But your brother is THE Pirate Hunter Zoro?"

"He's not my —"

"I uh — saw him while in Shelltown. Well actually I had to fight him, but I didn't really. He and Straw-Hat Luffy beat everyone and Captain Morgan and left together for —"

"Piers-san... met... Zoro?"

This time, Kuina was at a complete loss for words.

* * *

_**Thirty Minutes Later...**_

* * *

"I can't believe Piers-san met Zoro and I didn't know," Kuina groused.

"Well you never mentioned his name. And at that time I was working under that runt Helmeppo and had to follow his orders," Piers explained as he guided the boat into the current stream. "In fact I had to do some pretty ugh stuff."

For a moment he looked down. "There was this once when I had to throw this cute little girl who was bringing Zoro food over the execution ground wall."

"That... wasn't very nice of Piers-san." Kuina tried not to sound accusing.

"I know. I'm still ashamed of myself for not standing up to him." The sails flapped as they caught the wind and propelled the little boat merrily along. "Zoro did, you know. Stopped Helmeppo bullying that little girl. That's why he ended up in trouble with the marines."

Kuina couldn't help but feel a little rush of pride at hearing this.

"Anyway, I remember that Straw-Hat Luffy mentioning that he wanted to sail the Grand Line."

"Isn't that an entire ocean? I don't see how that helps."

"Yes, it does. You see, if you want to get to the Grand Line from the East Blue, there's once sure place where every ship heading there is almost guaranteed to stop —" Piers' voice was triumphant.

"— Loguetown!"

* * *

This was it. The calm before the storm, the silence before chaos. All the corny descriptives ran through his head as he stared down the man he had spent years trying to find.

"I have been searching for you for a very long time, Hawk-Eyes Mihawk."

The man did not seem impressed. "And what exactly do you desire of me?"

"You're bored right? What do you say to a duel?" No holding back now, he pulled the bandanna over his head and secured it.

Behind him he could hear the astonished murmurs of the pirates as they realized his identity,

"It's Roronoa Zoro!"

"...of the Santoryu..."

"Greatest swordsman in East Blue..."

"Weakling."

The dissonance in the stream of praise and the sudden put-down was jarring. "Greater swordsmen than you have not dared to face me, because they know where their power stands in relation to mine even before they draw their sword."

Zoro held his gaze stonily.

"You're strong-willed," Mihawk continued, "You have a brave heart. Or a foolish mind."

Despite himself, he suddenly had a flashback of Kuina whacking him on the forehead amidst cries of "_Idiot_!"

_"Promise! One day either you or I will become the world's greatest swordsman."_

_He had promised._

"My lifelong dream has been to defeat you," Zoro said as he drew Wadou and prepared to hold it with his mouth, "as a promise to my best friend."

He grinned and prepared for the fight of his life.

* * *

Kuina kept a firm grip on Koyojaku. The opened parasol kept her from being roasted in the scorching sun, but at the same time the stiff breeze threatened to whip the shikomizue right out of her hands. She had a feeling Ichii-san would NOT be amused to hear that she had lost her precious heirloom in such a careless manner if that happened.

Finally she tired of the battle against the wind and reluctantly closed the parasol with a sigh, accepting her punishment from the sun. She had on a thick layer of powder anyway. She probably wouldn't burn. _Probably_.

It would take them almost a week's sailing to get to Loguetown. Normally it would have taken less time, but because Pier's boat was a small, open boat with one square sail, they wouldn't be able to take the fastest routes as they had to stick closer to shore.

Initially, Kuina hadn't quite understood what the difference was, since to her a boat was just a boat. But it was mostly due to her ignorance of sailing, and Piers soon explained to her that small boats like his were all right for sailing in good weather, but if they were to be hit by a sudden squall, they would likely be driven off course and die of exposure before they could make their way back to land. Providing, of course, that they didn't capsize and drown in the first place. The cheery way with which he dispensed such grim information didn't exactly make her feel any better about her own inexperience and her earlier near-suicidal plans, but she was glad of having such a knowledgeable guide with her.

"There is one shortcut we could take," Piers said during a period when the wind had decided to take a break and they were becalmed. Kuina had the parasol up again, and judging from the rustling of papers, Piers must have been looking at a map. She recalled it was something new. As long as she had been sailing with Piers, he seemed to have done every bit of navigation by memory.

"I know the seas here like the back of my hand, but I've never had reason to sail this route before. The normal route from Syrup Village is to follow the shore west all the way to the Red Line and then sail south towards the Grand Line to reach Loguetown. But there's a trick that my pops used to get to Loguetown quickly whenever he had an extra special catch: The Secret Blue Current."

Kuina wasn't sure she understood, but she let Piers carry on. " It's a hidden sea current that starts due south of Syrup Village, and sweeps westwards until the headland after the Bay of Gosa. It'll carry us faster than the wind at this time of the year. It's a bit risky if we hit bad weather at any point before we reach the Bay of Gosa, but we'd still be close enough to run to shore if needed and it'll save us at least two days of sailing."

THAT part she understood. "I would be more than amenable to taking that risk then, Piers-san." Inwardly, she vowed no little risk would put her off getting to Loguetown and cutting Zoro off before he disappeared into the Grand Line.

But she knew if it came to it, she would have to follow him into that most dangerous of oceans, because she had left her life behind when she chose this path.

* * *

_"You are just someone who has never seen the real world."_

Mihawk's words echoed in his head. As blades whirled through the air, his rage was gradually building. Mihawk was holding that absurd little knife, and he couldn't even win against that toy at this range?

The bloody damn real world shouldn't be so bloody damn different! This was not what he had trained his whole life for.

_"It must be nice to have been born a boy. I want to be greatest swordsman in the world, but..."_

He had every. Single. Advantage.

_"SHUT UP! You don't know what's it's like! Don't you get it you thick-headed grass-head? I can't see anymore? I can't fight!"_

Mihawk's parry and counter-thrust sent him stumbling backwards and falling. In any other fight, his opponent would have taken the chance and finished him off, but Mihawk just courteously stood there, waiting for him to get back up. He wasn't even taking him seriously.

Well, if he wasn't going to keep his guard up, he, Zoro was going to take advantage of it. He had no intention of losing to Mihawk. Not with that toy. Not like this.

"TORA GARI!"

The tiger was hunting, but then crimson lightning struck it in mid leap. Zoro felt the blade snake past his sword and drive into his chest. In a disembodied kind of way he looked down, swords still raised above his head.

The point of the little knife was poised over his heart. If he had moved just an inch closer, it would have been the end. Slowly, he lowered his swords.

"Why do you not step back? Do you wish for this knife to pierce your heart?"

"I'm not sure myself," his breathing was slowing now. Laboured.

But there was a terrible calmness in him. He was no longer enraged.

_"I left my life behind when I chose to become the greatest swordsman in the world."_

"If I take a single step back, I'd feel like I'd broken my promise. And I'd never be able to face her again."

"That is called 'losing'," Mihawk stated flatly.

"That is why I can't step back," countered Zoro, "if I have to back down, I'd rather die first."

Around the Baratie, everyone held their collective breath at this display of defiance.

For what seemed like an eternity, Mihawk's eyes fixed upon Zoro, as if trying to decide if he were a fool or simply fatalistic.

Then with a wet splorch, Mihawk pulled the knife out of his chest. The sudden rush of blood on the removal of the weapon didn't even register. It was as if he had lost all capacity for pain in the excitement of the moment.

"Tell me your name, boy," said Mihawk slowly, as he unsheathed the Black Sword from his back.

"My name is Roronoa Zoro!"

This time, Zoro knew, Mihawk was serious. And so was he.

* * *

"So, just how far south is this current?"

Piers' little boat bobbed up and down and Kuina was beginning to feel the familiar waves of nausea that preluded her sea-sickness again. They were far out to sea and sound of the waves had changed. Unlike the gritty-sounding breakers near the shore, the waves out in the deep sounded hollow, and to her sensitive ears, seemed to leave an echo with each swell.

She had tried to explain this difference in sound to Piers, who had agreed that 'shore waves' sounded different from 'deep waves', but had also expressed surprise that Kuina had noticed the difference. Most people, said Piers, only noticed that the colour of the water changed from light turquoise to a dark, almost black blue the deeper it got. Since she couldn't quite confirm this herself, she assumed she was going to have to take his word for it.

"My pops said it should start around here somewhere. It's a pity that we're in such a hurry," Piers mused as he guided the boat. "Further down south you can just see this famous ship restaurant called the Baratie. I've always wanted to go there and try the food with a err — friend. But I never could quite afford it until I got my promotion."

Kuina wasn't quite sure if she had heard the almost silent "girl" muttered between "err" and "friend", but she decided that things are they were would be far less complicated if she just treated it as if she hadn't.

"Eh?"

"What is it, Piers-san?"

"There's a boat over there in the distance near the Baratie." She could feel the boat rock as Piers leaned over the side to get a better look. There was a moment of silence.

"Miss Kuina, you will not believe this, but there is a ship over there with a pirate flag. The pirate flag is a skull with a straw hat."

Kuina half-stood up so suddenly that she nearly upset the boat. "Straw-Hat! Here? Do you see Zoro?"

"It's kinda hard to see. There's this a wreck of a huge ship next to it. And there's another small boat nearby it. It's really small — and it's got black sails — and green candles?" Piers sounded rather confused at the last description.

Even as he spoke, there was a sound that even with the distance, rang across the water. If Kuina didn't know better, she would have said that it sounded like a house being sliced in half.

"Piers-san, what's going on now?"

The young marine's voice was shaking. "Miss Kuina, a man just sliced a whole ship up. I think I recognize him. He's one of the shichibukai."

"What's a shichibukai?"

"One of the World government's warlords," Piers squinted. "He's carrying a black sword — it's Hawk-Eyes Mihawk!"

"The greatest swordsman in the world?"

"How did you know?"

"Piers-san... I will answer that question later, but now please, we need to get over to the Baratie. Now. Because —"

"— SANZEN SEKAI!" The voice, hauntingly familiar, echoed across the water.

"Well, that's why," she concluded lamely as Piers frantically steered the boat towards the Baratie.

* * *

He had spent his whole life chasing, chasing, always chasing.

_"I've trained my whole life to be like you!"_

Kuina had always been his ideal, but just as he thought he could catch up to her, the old her had disappeared, and gone on to a different level he could never hope to follow. The current Kuina was not the same, and though it did not make him any less fond of her — no, perhaps he was more fond of her this way, but it was never that same and his dream of triumphantly beating her in a fair fight died, only to be replaced with the dream of beating Mihawk.

And now that he had finally found Mihawk only to be brushed aside as easily as a giant swats a little stinging gnat, that dream too was dying. Dying, and sinking into the depths of darkness like his battered body.

He was marginally conscious of his blood, a bright green* contrail in the blue light of the ocean, marking his descent into the depths.

In his mind's eye he saw Kuina. He could hear her voice as she stood outside the kimono-makers house, years ago.

_"If you don't make it, I'll have to find the person who beat you and get the katana from them and become the greatest swordsman in the world." _

_Shit._

He was dying, and it really shouldn't have bothered him anymore what he held in his death-grip.

All the same, he couldn't help thinking about how very pissed-off Kuina was going to be when she went to avenge him and found out that he had thoughtlessly carried the Wadou Ichimonji with him to his watery grave.

"I guess I screwed up in more ways than one," he thought as the blackness finally swallowed him and he knew no more.

* * *

"Kuina..."

She did not reply. Her tears streaked down her face, making ghastly inroads into her makeup.

"Miss Kuina!"

He had lost. And she had heard the entire battle taking place, while being too far away to be of any consequence.

_"Wounds from the back are a swordsman's shame."_

She had heard, over the sound of salt water slapping against ship hull, against creaking bulwark and broken keel; the faint but familiar rasp of a katana being sheathed. And the final slash from Mihawk's blade... then dull splash of the ocean swallowing the one they called the Pirate Hunter Zoro.

_Zoro, you idiot..._

Her best friend and brother-in-arms. After that she could remember little what she had done, perhaps it was the shock.

"MISS KUINA!" Piers was shaking her. Or perhaps he was just holding her by the shoulders and she was trembling violently.

Why was she crying? She should have been more battle-hardened than this. She had previously cut down her opponents knowing full well they might not survive. She had even enjoyed it, and what Hawk-Eyes Mihawk had done to Zoro was exactly what she would have done. It was what Zoro would have done to _his_ opponent. Why was it any different when someone else was the recipient? Why in the four blues was she suddenly so weak?

"Mihawk is coming this way. What do we do?" Piers, for all his inherent unflappability, was in full panic mode now. Why was he asking HER what to do? Perhaps witnessing Zoro, whose skill he held in high regard, being cut down as easily as a swathe of rice stalks at harvest had something to do with it.

She could hear the sound of wind filling a sail. She could almost smell the candles burning. She didn't need Piers to tell her where Mihawk was. She could sense him and his aura coming across the water. And he radiated such concentrated will and power that it dwarfed the memory of the same Ichii-san had displayed back years ago.

For the first time in her life, she was terrified down to the core of her being.

_But she had promised._

_"If you don't make it, I'll have to find the person who beat you and get the katana from them and become the greatest swordsman in the world." _

Her knuckles whitened as they tightened her grip on Koyojaku's handle and she unwedged the _habaki_* of the shikomizue from its sheath. She had promised to fight Zoro's vanquisher. She just hadn't imagined it would happen so soon. It was like a newly-appointed apprentice being told to put together a full wedding kimono from scratch.

Piers had been terrified into a frozen silence. She could not blame him. Mihawk's boat was very near them now. She wondered if he could hear her wildly hammering heart. She wondered if he too, felt the prickly chill down his spine.

Then Mihawk stopped. He was close enough she could hear his breath over the silence of the waves. She could hear him, and though she could not see him, she could feel his keen eyes taking them in. It must have been an odd sight: A young marine wrapped in bandages and a young girl in a kimono, with a painted face.

"I recognize that sword," His voice was like the edge of a blade, sharp, precise, forceful. "Tell me, how is Ixora doing these days?"

Part of her was surprised that he knew Ichii-san, even if she tried not to show it. In this case, the lady-like control that Ichii-san had drilled into her served her well. "Ixora-sama is doing very well, thank you," she replied demurely as her fear suddenly disappeared, to be replaced by cool poise that she didn't even know she had. It was as if another Kuina had stepped in and taken over.

"Are you too, seeking to avenge that young swordsman?" True to his name, Hawk-Eyes had seen through her facade and had immediately recognized her as a swordsman.

"I made a vow. A promise to my best friend."

"_Deja vu,_" Mihawked sighed, "Girl, I have been commissioned to fight pirates, not marines or those in company of marines." His words stung, his disdain barely disguised. "And I have no interest in fighting crippled swordsmen. But that does not mean I will not hesitate to cut you down should you draw your blade on me. So choose wisely"

_"Choose. Between becoming the world's greatest swordsman, or death."_

If she drew her sword, he would chop the boat in half. And in such close quarters, she doubted that the damage would be limited to her alone. At the very least, Piers would be collateral.

_But she had promised._

She could sense the extent of his power even without crossing blades with him. She knew, without a doubt, that he was far beyond her level, just as he had been far beyond Zoro's.

_But she had promised._

There was nothing to it but to do it. her face set, she prepared to draw the blade and face her opponent, or die trying just like what Zoro would have done.

Unbidden, the voice of Ichii-san filled her head.

_"...you're going to have to stop trying to fight like that boy..."_

_But she had promised._

Yet still, her hand remained frozen, and she did not draw her sword.

* * *

_"Sempai! Can you hear us? Sempai!"_

The cries were so irritating. They sounded like Johnny in the midst of his panic attacks...

"Zoro! He's alive!"

Oh.

He was lying in the bottom of the small boat, his legs dangling ungracefully (and rather painfully) over the side. It really hurt to move. Or focus his eyes.

"Don't die Sempai!" Yosaku was freaking out now.

Why was he even alive? He'd lost.

_"I will never lose!"_

He almost thought he could hear Kuina's voice. It was exactly the sort of thing should would have said.

"Geez. Even now, what even she says echoes in my head even years later," he reflected as he closed his eyes again, triggering another round of panic from Yosaku.

"It is too soon for you to die, Roronoa Zoro," Mihawk's voice thundered, interrupting his inner reflection. "Learn more about the world, refine your skills and become strong enough to challenge me again!"

He still had the Kuina's sword in a death grip. With a start, he realized he had never let it go, even when he had been unconscious.

"No matter how long it will take," Mihawk's voice was further away now. The boat he was on was moving. "I will be the world's greatest swordsman and I will be waiting for you."

No, It wasn't time to let go. Not yet.

He raised the Kuina's sword and found his voice.

* * *

"Well?" Mihawk's voice was impatient as he turned back to face Kuina.

"You said you had no interest in fighting me," Kuina ventured, despite her relief at hearing Zoro's voice. He was alive!

"No I do not," said Mihawk as his boat passed hers.

On impulse, she said it. "Is it because I'm blind, or is it because I'm a girl?"

It was a stupid thing to have said, and Ichii-san would not have approved.

"So... you still desire to fight me even now?"

Zoro had not backed down. He had given all he had in his battle with Mihawk. And he had lost. Badly.

If his spirit hadn't impressed Mihawk, he would have been dead. simple as that. But perhaps because of his novelty value, Mihawk let him live.

"I will not make any exceptions for your gender, nor your disability."

This would have been what Zoro would have done.

But she was not Zoro.

And she did not have to do things his way.

Her grip on Koyojaku's hilt relaxed. "No. Not yet." She let go and let her arm hang limply to the side.

"Well, you do have a thinking head on your shoulders at least." Mihawk noted, in a voice both approving and yet, disappointed. "Do you have a name?"

"I... I am called Kuina."

"I see. You probably have some skill as well, but spirit.. not so much. Still, you may not be totally without hope"

What happened next was confusing to her, but later she would realize that she had acted purely on instinct at that moment.

"DOWN!" Kuina yelled as she pulled Piers down to the bottom of the boat. Something keen and almost tangible swooped past above them. There was a silence, then a splintering creaking sound as the cleanly bisected wood of the sailboat's modest mast gave way.

The cut-in-half mast crashed into the ocean, unceremoniously dropping the canvas sail on them both. It took them a moment's struggling to get out from under it. The indignity of the whole thing nearly had Kuina breaking into some very-unladylike profanities, but Piers, who was after all still a sailor, kindly filled in for her in this regard.

"Yes, in time... quite possible." Mihawk continued speaking, as if he hadn't just performed a feat that would have a normal man soiling his pants. He cleared his throat before speaking again.

"Kimono Kuina, in answer to your question..." Mihawk's tone, though still haughty, was sincere, "only a fool cuts down a young sakura tree before it has had a chance to blossom."

She could hear him put his sword away before the sounds of his boat disappeared into the sounds of the ocean and she presumed, out of sight.

Piers was still describing the departure of that particular Warlord of the Sea in terms that were less than flattering. Apparently his fear of the shichibukai did not apply if they crossed the line and damaged his generations-passed-down family fishing boat.

"How did he cut down the mast? Did he throw his sword at us?" she asked dazedly in between the marine's subsiding expletives.

"Er..." Piers caught himself, "No. That- that bast-er — basket-case, just swooshed his huge Black Sword around like he was just waving, you know? And next thing I knew you'd tackled me (thanks by the way) and I nearly got a haircut and my sailboat got turned into a rowboat and my sails a fishnet net without holes."

"He cut the boat without using his blade?" Kuina wondered in awe. "Other then HOW he did that... if he didn't intend to kill us, why did he even..."

Then in a sudden rush of insight, she understood.

"You're an arrogant show-off, Hawk-Eyes," she muttered to herself. "But did you do that for the reason I think you did?"

"Piers-san, what about Zoro's boat? Can we still catch up with them?"

Piers sounded like he was shaking his head as he surveyed. "I'm afraid not without a working mast, Miss Kuina. We've been swept up in the hidden current we were aiming for. We could row to get out of it, but we're going to in a bit of trouble being stuck out here without a mast. I don't think the Baratie will be able to help us... they look like they're in the middle of a battle there."

True to his words, and judging by the sound, a full scale war seemed to be breaking out between the crew of the Baratie and the pirates from the wrecked ship.

Part of her wanted to join in the battle, to make up for her decision not to fight Mihawk, but she knew it was too dangerous for Piers, and in any case, they had no good reason to be getting involved.

"I can still see Zoro's boat," Piers said. "But we are going to lose sight of them soon. Miss Kuina..?"

She had a decision to make.

"It's all right. We'll catch them at Loguetown," Kuina said calmly, as the hidden current drew their crippled boat away.

She would find him again.

After all, she had promised.

_"No matter how long it will take, I will become the world's greatest swordsman. And I will be waiting for you."_

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

***Chapter Footnotes:**

[1] **Bright green blood underwater** = In case anyone was wondering: no, it's not a marimo joke and no, Zoro does not have green blood. However, due to light filtering and red being the shortest wavelength (thus it is the first colour to "go"), his blood would look green beyond a certain depth underwater. Most television and print media are not aware of this since most people who produce these things rarely spend much time below sea level at any significant depth, so in common depiction, blood is still shown as red underwater.

And yes, I am quite particular about some things. .

[2] **Habaki = **A habaki is that metal collar, often bronze coloured, that you find between the base of a blade and the hilt of a katana. Other than reinforcing the blade into the hilt, it also helps keep the sword in its sheath (since the end with the habaki fits more snugly than the blade would). The action of loosening a habaki is tantamount to cocking a pistol or removing the safety of a rifle and is pretty much an unspoken challenge.

_**Well! It's been a while since my last chapter. 8000+ words! Each chapter keeps getting longer and longer so naturally it takes me longer to write them!**_

_**To Xoroth, Black Kitsune, Baron Von Nobody, Gunsmoke, Kisdota, Ilex, Aoihand , Infinite Freedom, Valentine and all the others who have reviewed and favourited this story, many thanks! A review might not have seemed like much, but let me assure your responses really really helped me keep going, especially at the parts where I was stuck with writers block.**_

_**To response to some of the comments again:**_

_**Aoihand: **__There were a few moments where I got a bit confused due to the phrasing. It was as if Kuina could see and it did throw me off on my first read through._

**A:**It's an extremely good point and one of the most useful comments I've had so far! Thank you.

Obviously I've never tried to write from the perspective of someone who was blind before, and in contemplation, I've come to realize it's far more than just writing the way I normally write and then omit any references of Kuina being able to see. It can be a bit jarring when I describe a place or character visually like I normally do when it's supposed to be from Kuina's POV, (Or in this case, POP- Point of Perception).

For this chapter I've tried to emulate what a blind person would be more likely to perceive and be more consistent about it. Hopefully I haven't slipped up as much this time round ;)

* * *

_**Aoihand (yes, again :D ): **__I love that Kuina dealt with the problem of style ...(snip)... If she had lived, I do believe that Kuina would have to deal with this issue and I'm glad to see you tackle it so well. It's not about gender-equality. It's about basic physics and biology. Women are built differently and thus have different strengths. (apparantly we store more of our strength in our lower body) :)_

**A: **One thing that has always annoyed me about the portrayal of swordswomen in media is exactly this. Most of the time, they're shown to be exactly like male swordsmen, but with boobs and often, with less clothing coverage area. When I run into them I am always so tempted to go:"Equal" doesn't mean "identical but with fanservice", Graaah!

* * *

_**Ilex Crataegus: **__I hope that Kuina's future attacks will have as awesome names as 'Ittoryu: Running Stitch!'_

**A: **Thanks! Attack names seem to be thematic to profession in Oda's world, so I intend to be adhering to the rules ;) But glad you like! It's hard to make sewing terms sound like war cries!

* * *

_**Kisdota: **__IS KUINA GOING TO GO ON AN ADVENTURE OF HER OWN LOOKING FOR ZORO, FOLOWING HIM AND ALWAYS BEING AN ISLAND AWAY?_

**A: **yes for the first part and no for the "always" part. i don't want to lock myself down to a set formula, so it might change in the future. i'm bound to shake things up to make it more challenging!

* * *

_**The Black Kitsune:**__ Out of pure curiosity, was the whole feeling vibrations thing inspired by Toph?_

**A: **Oooh! Guilty! I'd already had an idea that vibrations would be one of the aids she'd use, but since I wanted to improve my portrayal of the character I did quite a bit of research on other existing visually impaired characters and yes, Toph was one of them.

Incidentally, I'd only discovered the _Avatar: the Last Airbender _recently through the research for this fic (I had never watched it before until then, believe it or not) so I consider it an absolute bonus! XD

I will also admit part of the reason this chapter took so long was because I spent a lot of time being hooked to the entire series of _Avatar_ after that... ooops! All in the name of research, hey?

* * *

_**And lastly, in case you are interested, here is an attempt to draw Kuina on my deviant art account:**_

_**PingTeo(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/AU-One-Piece-Kimono-Kuina-145275970 **_

_**Phew! Until next chapter!**_


	6. A Showdown in Loguetown

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: A Showdown in Loguetown**

* * *

"Don't worry, we'll make it back, no matter what."

Kuina gripped the sides of Piers' little fishing boat, her knuckles white and her face set. The sudden squall had whipped the waves into choppy peaks that the crippled little boat struggled to stay abreast of, but for all of Piers' cheery reassurances, they were still being tossed around mercilessly.

All the same, every time they made it over a crest of a wave and plunged down the other side of the mountain of water, she felt as though her insides were dropping out. Not that she actually knew what the sensation of 'insides dropping out' actually felt like, come to think of it.

It had been rough sailing the way to Loguetown. The improvisation of a jury mast* for their vessel had helped somewhat, but when they were just a half day's sailing past the Bay of Gosa, they had been hit with a sudden freak storm.

Not for the first time did she thank whatever fate it was that had sent Piers to be her guide,. She had no doubt that had it been any other less skilled sailor with her, the boat would have been swamped and sunk long ago.

As it was, there was nothing she could do but trust in the skill of her companion, stay out of his way while he did his sailing thing.

When the occasion allowed it, she would bail water out of the tiny boat with a pail he had given her. She suspected it once held bait worms, given the Piers' reluctance to discuss the topic of its former contents. Maybe he thought she would freak out if she knew.

But at least bailing made her feel a little more useful than being dead weight. All the same, she still hated feeling helpless and totally dependent on someone.

After what seemed like an eternity, there was a change in the air. As suddenly as the squall had began, the wind seemed to lessen in force and the waves lessened in magnitude until she no longer felt the need to grip on to the sides of the boat for fear she would be flung out.

"Piers-san? Did the storm die down?"

"Harbour. Loguetown," was Piers' terse reply.

"We made it!"

"Yeah."

Kuina was tempted to dance for joy, except that she was still mildly queasy and a little voice in her head was telling her that something was wrong. And it was about her companion.

She couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly was off about his speech. Then it hit her: the brevity was rather uncharacteristic of Piers.

"Is Piers-san all right?" she asked uncertainly.

As if in reply, there was a resounding thud of human body meeting wet wood board.

"Piers-san?"

It took her a moment to realise that Piers' spent frame had just pitched forward to form an unconscious heap at the bottom of the boat.

"PIERS-SAN!"

* * *

Fool that she was!

Fool that she was not to remember that Piers was still recovering from nearly being killed by some insane cat pirate wench. Pushing him so far as to sail to Loguetown with his injuries had been a stupid idea. A selfish idea.

Although he'd never even complained about it, not even once.

It only made her feel worse.

The citizens of Loguetown must have been accustomed to seeing odd characters doing strange things on their streets. No one seemed to express any surprise or interest at the spectacle of a slightly bedraggled young girl in a kimono half-carrying, half-dragging a semi-conscious marine along the docks.

It wasn't his weight that was the problem, Kuina thought as she bit her lip and trudged forward. Oh she had plenty of strength. And this wasn't her being overconfident. Years of training had given her above average strength for someone of her stature. And working for Ichii-san hadn't dented that a bit. She'd kept it up doing menial work like carrying poles of wet cloth (far heavier than most people would imagine) and vats of dye (which both looked and _were _heavy).

No, problem here was that while she was averaged-sized for a girl, she was also trying to carry someone almost a foot over her height and definitely almost double her bulk.

It did not work well balance-wise.

"Hospital, hospital, hospital..."

She paused beside every building, trying to sense whether it was her objective. Signs were always so... visual. How was she supposed to find anything here?

If she hadn't been so preoccupied in her thoughts, Kuina might have noticed that she had walked right into something rather peculiar. But sadly, the former kimono-maker's apprentice was only brought back to the present when a somewhat nasal voice interrupted her reverie.

"Well well well... what do we have here?"

A second, snivelly voice joined in. "Looks like a wasted marine and his whore, methinks, Captain."

The hair on the back of her neck bristled at being called a "whore". For a moment she almost forgot herself and nearly flew in a rage at the offender. With great difficulty, she held herself back.

"Hey girlie!" whooped a third voice. "What's you been a-doin with that boy huh? He looks all tuckered out!"

More bawdy laughter. Kuina feel hear her face flush despite herself.

Scratch that. Kuina now wanted to, at the very least, make it so that that particular individual would never be celebrating Father's Day in the foreseeable future.

_Temper..._

No it would not do any good losing her head now. Piers needed medical attention, and as much as she would like to teach those louts a lesson it would have only been an exercise in vindictiveness. She didn't need to be part of that.

One of the men, smelling strongly of rum, had (judging from the sound) stepped in front of her. "Why don't you just ditch that blue and come with us, honey? We're in need of a goooood time!"

Oh great. One of _those_. She really didn't want to fight at the moment, but indications were that she was going to have to if she were to remain unmolested. All the same, and more out of respect for Ichii-san's teachings more than anything, she tried the soft way first then.

"Let me pass, please. I need to find a doctor for my friend."

The snivelly voice started mimicking her immediately. "Oooooh! Pleeease let me passs!"

"Friend of a marine, is it?" the other said threateningly.

"Such a shame, seeing that being pirates and all, and we don't like marines..."

In hindsight, she could have chosen her words better. At this point she decided that diplomacy was overrated. And since it was overrated she was going to be needing both her hands.

"Stay here for a moment please, Piers-san," she whispered as she set him half-sitting, half-leaning against the wall. With some alarm she noticed he was hot to the touch. She didn't have much time.

She could smell the stale breath of the obviously drunk pirate right behind her. Whirling around, she attempted to draw Koyojaku, but she had misjudged the distance and the pirate was faster, gripping her firmly by the shoulders.

"_Kindly_ unhand me, sir."

"Oooh, we got a such a polite little wench here. This should be fun."

She didn't need the sudden stab of fear that was rising in her at the moment. Right now, she needed the calm. She needed the bloodlust.

"Let's bring her back to the ship. I'm sure the crew would love a bit of amusement!"

Although she maintained her grip on the disguised sword, he had her other hand in a vice-like grip and she wasn't going to be able to draw her blade.

"Stop struggling, girl, or I'll bend you over my knee, if you know what I mean..." The implied threat triggered another round of guffaws from the pirates.

"Or I could..."

After that comment, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to bring her knee up and connect it solidly with her tormentor's nether-regions. She knew he felt it, because he gave a roar and most importantly, released his grip on her.

She fell on her knees, her hand finding the hilt of her weapon as she did so.

"If you please, kindly refrain doing that in the future, lest I might need to _knee you under your bend _in return... sir," she tacked on the last word as an afterthought. Inwardly she couldn't help thinking how ridiculous it was that the more angry she got, the more frigidly polite she became. But as silly as it was, it helped her keep her head.

Judging from the pirate's continued use of language that did not bear repeating, he didn't seem keen on following her suggestion.

"Oh dear... I'm afraid I'm going to engage in something rather unladylike," she said cooly, feeling her fear and loathing give way to anger and the desire to kill.

This was no time for mercy.

"Seam Ripper!"

The powerful upstroke sliced deeply into the torso of the fat pirate, flashing out of the sheath before the pirate even realized she had risen to her feet. She dully registered the pirate's cry of pain; her kimono was splattered red as Koyojaku's gleaming edge exited from the shoulder.

_If you are facing a dangerous foe, either you attack without reservation, or you do not attack him at all._

No sense doing anything half-way. Following the momentum of the cut, she whirled past the first pirate and sank Koyojaku hilt-deep into the interior of the second pirate.

"Pincushion Pierce," she whispered.

No mercy. The effect was so sudden the pirate didn't even seem to realize that he had been impaled. She imagined his eyes widening as he collapsed.

"This is so unseemly," she said coldly, still in a cold rage, "I seem to have stained my kimono. You'll have to excuse my unfit appearance."

Kuina turned on the third pirate, but she could tell that he was already backing away. Most worryingly, she realized, her last opponent was the captain of the group, and he was backing away while calling for reinforcements.

"Running Stitch!"

Oh he was definitely more skilled than his other two subordinates, for he had drawn his cutlass and parried both blows. Given the speed of her own draw, this was actually quite impressive. But as much as she would have liked a real swordfight, if more of the pirate crew were to join in the fray, she would be hard-pressed to defend herself and Piers.

She could hear the clatter of running feet. Leather on stone-flagged street. Sandals scraping against stone. At least ten more men, coming to her opponent's aid. They must have been looting and pillaging the town. She could hear screams and smell the smoke of burning fires.

All the while she was matching blades with the Captain. He was skilled, she decided. But given enough time she was sure she could beat him in a one-on-one battle. But problem was: she wouldn't have enough time before the pirate reinforcements converged on her.

No time for fear. Parry parry, cut, thrust... The pirate captain's movements were beginning to flail wildly. He knew that the fight wasn't going well for him. She pressed harder;The smell of burning smoke filled her nostrils, the shouts of the rapidly approaching pirates were louder now.

Fending off a particularly desperate attack from her opponent, she launched into a counter that brought the tip of her weapon slashing across the pirate's face.

He dodged, but not quickly enough. She felt something just cut. It felt like hair.

"My mustache!" howled the Captain in fury, "My beautiful moooooos-taaarge!" Livid with anger, he screeched to his men who had just arrived: "SHOOT HER!"

She muttered something rather unlady-like as she shifted herself so that the Captain stood between her and the reinforcements. The best she could hope for was that the men would hesitate to shoot with their leader in the way.

The bang was not unexpected, but it seemed not as loud as the gunshot she had heard in Shelltown. This gun must have had some sort of device to minimize the weapon's report. All the same, she felt the red hot metal press against her skin, tearing through the fine cloth of her (now decidedly ruined) kimono.

"YOU IDIOTS! YOU NEARLY HIT ME!"

The Captain wasn't pleased. Not at all.

Blood dripped down her arm where the bullet had skimmed through her flesh. It was a superficial wound, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. She controlled her breathing with some effort. Now was not the time to show pain or fear.

The smoke was getting so thick it was choking.

Then abruptly, a voice, deep, slightly guttural and definitely imposing, broke the pattern.

"There you are, Tashigi," The voice, definitely belonging to a man sounded exasperated and mildly surprised. "So that's what you were up to. Why are you all dressed up like that anyway?"

She froze. Had a pirate snuck up behind her? But that was a rather odd way to speak to one's captain. Or was he talking to her?

And why was there so much smoke?

Without waiting for an answer, the newcomer turned to address the pirates. "Hey. Which one of you is the boss?"

"Who the hell are you?" scowled the de-mustached captain menacingly.

Unfazed, the new arrival continued. "Are you the scoundrel known as Monkey D. Luffy?"

Kuina almost dropped her sword on hearing this. "Him... Monkey D. Luffy?" she squeaked. She was promptly ignored by both the newcomer and the pirates.

"Let's see how powerful you are, since you're stupid enough to show your ugly mug in my town!"

"You have to be joking..." the Captain seemed to be having a bad hiccup. "Get... Get him!"

Kuina gripped her Koyojaku and prepared for battle. If she could defeat Monkey D. Luffy, maybe she could barter Zoro's freedom...

A sudden hush fell upon the docks. The pirate crew had been stopped in their tracks by the sight of something. Somehow she doubted it was her and her shikomizue.

As it turned out, it was not.

The man behind her was radiating a chilling aura of darkness. For a wild, fleeting moment, she had a mental glimpse of the depths of the ocean. Then, everything exploded into a cloud of thick, suffocating, smoke.

* * *

Roronoa Zoro could never have been called a ladies man. Not that he was a misogynist, but women in general for him could be divided into three categories: Harmless and Not Annoying (Most women in general), Dangerous and Annoying (The manipulative Nami was a prime example), and Dangerous but Worthy of Respect (Kuina, although when he first met her, she might have been in the annoying category).

No, unlike the love-cook he had no standard reaction of melting into a puddle of goo on seeing a particularly attractive woman. Oh, he acknowledged their attractiveness, but it had nothing to do with his goal in life. And that was that.

All the same, when a Harmless and Not Annoying girl was being menaced by two pirates, he wasn't going to stand idly by.

The bespectacled woman in question today was standing the middle of the street and being menaced by two men, pirates by the look of them. The crowd was watching in some sort of morbid fascination, but none of them seemed to becoming to her aid.

"Seems like that monster isn't with you today, girlie."

"That boss of yours put our Captain in the slammer!" growled the pirate. "Now we can't sail to the Grand Line!"

"Smoker-san isn't a monster!" protested the girl.

"I've got an idea: Let's send you back to him in pieces... then he'll know our dream of sailing the Grand Line was destroyed because of him!"

Two armed pirates against an unarmed girl. Not honorable at all. Zoro scowled as he unwedged his habaki and prepared to jump into the fray.

There was a lighting quick movement. The sharp twang of steel blade against steel and then flesh. And an overwhelming sense of deja vu.

A scabbard fell to the ground. The girl had taken out those two in the time it had taken for the object to fall after being unsheathed mid-air.

Correction #1: Girl wasn't unarmed after all. Correction #2, Girl wasn't Harmless and Not Annoying, but Dangerous but Worthy of Respect.

A murmur of appreciation rippled through the crowd. It seemed that they too, were in awe of her prowess.

Until she tripped and fell. Something slid to a stop at his feet. Bending down, he saw they were the pair of glasses. The same pair in fact, that the Girl was desperately patting the ground in search of.

"Are you looking for these?" he asked, proffering the eye-wear to her helpfully.

"Thank you!" said Girl in relief. It was then when he got a good look at her face.

"KUINA?"

"E...excuse me?"

Zoro steadied himself. Wait... no. There was no vestige of any burn scars on her face. And the way she held herself was all wrong. Besides...Glasses. Kuina was blind, she wouldn't wear glasses.

Glasses...

Oh. Crap.

In his shock he had involuntarily clenched his fist. With the glasses still in it.

And that was how he had ended up mopping the floor in a Marine base: to pay for the glasses he had broken while musing about how uncanny that two women who looked so alike should be so alike.

* * *

It was in short, amazing.

When the smoke cleared. the pirates had been tied into a miserable huddle on the docks.

"That's... amazing," Kuina couldn't help saying, 'you just defeated Straw-Hat Luffy without even trying..."

"Are you blind or just stupid?" barked the Smoke Man. "How can these miserable scum be Luffy? If these sorry rats are worth 30 million beli, it's the end of the world."

Slightly affronted, Kuina mentally filed away the information that Straw-Hat Luffy was worth 30 million before considering her next answer. There were a dozen possible answers to what the Smoke Man had just said, but she was willing to wager that the one she gave would be one he wasn't expecting.

"Actually, sir...", she lifted her hanging bangs so he could see her eyes. "I AM blind."

She didn't need eyes to tell that Smoke Man had done a double-take at this. There was a long awkward silence. Kuina got the impression that Smoke Man was scrutinizing her, somewhat disbelievingly.

Finally, he spoke again. "I seem to have mistaken you for someone else. You'll have to disregard what I said earlier, Miss. No offense meant." Then under his breath, he muttered: "Where has that ditzy girl run off to?"

Another long pause.

"Did the pirates do that too?"

It took her a moment to realize he meant Piers, who was still unconscious and laid to the side.

"Well, uh... it was a pirate, but not these ones," Kuina said as she hurried over to Piers' aid. "All the same, he needs medical attention, sir. I don't suppose you could help...?"

As if in response, Smoke Man strode over and hefted Piers over his shoulder as if the poor boy was a sack of potatoes. "He's a marine. Marine HQ infirmary will take care of him." He grunted.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me, it's my job."

"You are a marine, sir?"

"Captain Smoker!" a voice interrupted them. The pattering sound of feet as two more men ran up. "You've apprehended Monkey D. Luffy?"

"No," both Smoke Man "Captain Smoker" and the other man, who was obviously also marine, said simultaneously. The marine could be heard rustling some papers. "That's Captain Gary, of the Crescent Moon Pirates."

"Oh well, pop them in the slammer, will you? I've got to take this one back to base." With that, Smoker started strolling down the road. Then he stopped and turned. "Coming?"

He meant her.

"Y... Yes sir!"

They made their way though the streets of Loguetown in silence, him leading, her following. Suddenly, Smoke Man, or rather, Captain Smoker piped up.

"By the way, you wouldn't happen to have a sister, would you?"

* * *

Hours later, Kuina sighed in something that was dangerously close to contentment.

A shower and a new change of clothes were very great things after several days at sea. Getting the salt out of one's hair may sound like a minor thing to some, but the psychological boost it gave one was something not to be underestimated. She had been tempted to not put the hated face makeup back on, since she was in company of people who probably wouldn't seek to take advantage of her, but all the same, she did, reasoning that when meeting new people it was best not to have them filch at the sight of your visage.

Having her shallow shoulder wound tended to helped as well.

Captain Smoker had brought her to the marine base, and after talking to her briefly, (with an oddly large number of questions pertaining to whether she had relatives or relatives in town) had been content to leave her in the care of the marine medics. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but from what she could gather and from the reactions of other marines in the base, she seemed to have a very strong resemblance to one of the officers there and a few people seemed to have taken it for granted that they must be related somehow.

The doctor at the base had been very nice. After assuring her that every thing possible for Piers had been done,( "Yes, that fool had better take things easy and not reopen his wounds again once his fever goes down and yes he ought to be left alone to sleep it off and no he wasn't going to die.") he'd advised her to get some rest herself and even offered her the use of a small room and bed.

For which she was grateful. She'd really wanted to go out in search of Straw-Hat's ship and Zoro, but she was no good looking for someone in a state that was one degree off sleep-walking.

So she slept. And perhaps because her mind was worried, it was inevitable that she dreamed.

A dark hallway loomed before her and a tall man was walking towards its end. In his hands he held two brooms, and in his mouth a third. As he moved, he swept. And with each stroke of the three brooms, the darkness spread.

What a strange dream it was.

In fact, the man with the brooms looked rather familiar...

"It's the Pirate Hunter Zoro!"

"He's in our base, sweeping our floors!"

"THE FIEND!"

Yes. It really was a very strange dream.

What woke her up was the thumping of boot on stone floor. The vibrations could be felt even through the cot she she was lying on. Groggily, she wondered what was going on. Then her ears caught the word: "Zoro!"

Five minutes later, the doctor came to check on her. But the cot was empty and the door had been left ajar.

Hours later, a young girl stumbled aimlessly about the streets of Loguetown, lost and fuming at how close she had come to finding her quarry.

* * *

_An odd person, but an amazing swordsman._ Tashigi had thought. She had watched the green-headed young man casually pluck the Sandai Kitetsu from the wooden floor which it had sank so deeply into. The blade was so sharp that the force of it landing alone was enough to make in sink in almost to the hilt. And the crazy person had stuck his hand out, full of confidence that the blade would choose to not hurt him.

The same crazy person she had briefly admired, only to find that he was none other than Roronoa Zoro, the demon Pirate Hunter.

And now she was crossing blades with him, determined to free that beautiful sword from the hands of that pirate.

"You must have been so proud at yourself for tricking me," she said scornfully as they exchanged parries.

"I never lied to you," pointed out the pirate hunter. "If you had asked me what my name was I'd have told you."

She noticed he was only fighting her with one sword. Was he even taking her seriously?

"_Are you holding back?_" she demanded. "Is it because I am a woman?"

She had hit a nerve. She could see his cocky expression change, he was obviously unhappy over what she said.

"At least have some respect for me as a swordsman! I didn't take up this sword for the sake of it. In a real fight, gender shouldn't be a factor!" Tashigi upped her attack, managing a combination that Roronoa managed to somehow defend against.

"Come on! Fight me with your full power! You have no idea what it is like, being born a woman and always being underestimated —"

Something seemed to crack in the pirate hunter. His expression was black as slowly, deliberately, he drew his second sword. It was if he was another person, he attacked with a terrifying ferocity that surprised her. In less than a few seconds, he had her pinned against the wall, her sword Shigure flying into the air behind him and his sword planted inches from her head.

"I never liked you since the first time we met!" he growled. Her astonished countenance was enough to spur him into going on. "You just... remind me too much of a friend of mine. But you have much more than what she has now. And you've wasted it, instead of pushing yourself to be stronger all you can do is imitate her style of talking and even her sword style!"

This was getting ridiculous. "What a cruel thing to say!" she spat, "I've never imitated anyone and I was like this since the day I was born!"

He pulled back, sheathing his swords in disdain. "Whatever. Just know that no matter what happens, only one person will be taking this sword from me. And it's not you —"

"— Zoro-kun."

She could see the arrogant countenance drop as her opponent froze.

"No, it couldn't be," she heard him mutter.

He turned. She couldn't see it very clearly, but there, standing with ears burning, was a woman clad in a kimono of grey silk.

* * *

"Zoro-kun."

After several hours of wandering through the street, she had finally found him. How exactly she had finally found him she wasn't sure, but it had been his raised voice that her drawn her to.

It had been years since they had been in the company of each other. Both had known that this moment was bound to happen, but neither of them had ever imagined that it would take place the way it did: On the rain-lashed streets of Loguetown, with an angry warrant-officer and a squad of marines looking on.

Not exactly the ideal reunion.

Zoro was gaping at her. While she just stood there, trying desperately to remember the words that she had rehearsed in her head a dozen times. "Zoro — " Kuina began again, but with a lightning quick movement, Zoro had darted over, grabbed her hand and was pulling her along the cobbled streets.

"Sorry Kuina, but we need to get out of here," he said as she found herself running to keep up with him. "I'll explain everything when we get back to my ship."

Behind them, the stunned marines were beginning to recover their powers of locomotion and were mobilizing after them.

"Zoro!" Kuina said desperately, not liking the unfamiliar sensation of becoming a fugitive from the law, "I know all about what happened in Shelltown and Straw-Hat — you don't have to..."

"Good!" she could feel him flash a rare smile, "Should have known you were up to speed as usual; that makes things easier. Don't worry, Luffy'll be more than happy to have you along."

She did not like where this was going.

"Zoro, you don't have to do this!"

"Of course I do. I'm a pirate, and you've been seen with me, you'll get in trouble otherwise."

"That's not what I meant!"

"Eh?"

"Zoro, that Straw-Hat took advantage of you! You don't have to keep on being a pirate!"

Overhead, the thunder rolled as Zoro slowed into a stunned stop.

"What?"

" A promise made under duress is not a promise! You don't have to honour it!" Kuina pleaded with him. "Come away with me. We'll clear things up with the marines and —"

"You want me to go back on my word and desert my Captain?"

There was an ominous tone to his voice that stopped her in her tracks.

"Zoro, he's a _pirate_. You're not like them!"

"You mean I wasn't," Zoro released his grip on her hand. "Maybe we don't know what each of us are like now," he said coldly.

For the first time, there was tension between them. It was as if two friends had met each other after a long absence, and found themselves strangers instead. But she wasn't about to let him go without a fight.

"Zoro-kun... please."

She could feel his mood soften a little.

"I am sorry, Kuina. But I can't. I made a promise and I have to stick to it."

She was devastated. How was it possible this Straw-Hat Luffy could have exerted so much influence over Zoro that he'd willingly go with the man over her? What kind of diabolical manipulator of men was he? Was it some form of hypnosis? Or mind control?

The vision of Straw-Hat Luffy filled her mind again, his sinister smile stretching ear to ear.

_"You're helpless to stop me, Kimono Kuina! Behold my power of enthrallment... there is no more of your Zoro-kun. There is now only the murderous Demon called the Pirate Hunter Zoro! And who is now mine to command!" _

_With that, the image of Straw-Hat Luffy threw his head up and laughed. It was an evil laugh._

_"AHAHAH! AHOOHOOHAHAHAAAAA!" _

With a start she realized her mind had drifted.

"We need to move. The marines are coming," Zoro said, more gruffly than she'd ever heard him. "You coming?"

The gulf between them was widening.

In her mind flashed images of her earlier encounter with the pirates she had almost thought were Straw-Hat Luffy's crew. Looting, pillaging and wanton violence. For but a turn of Fate's wheel, it could have been them. She could feel the bruises from where the fat pirate had gripped her shoulder. The sting of where the bullet had torn through her arm still burned. She remembered the casual way they had flung threats at her and Piers. To live amongst such people...

"No."

She couldn't bring herself to stoop to that level. Not even to be there for Zoro. "Zoro... Why?"

There was no need for Zoro to ask her to be more specific on what she meant. He knew.

"Because when a man gives his word, he keeps it."

"Can't you make an exception?"

He did not hesitate in his answer.

"If I break my word once, what's to stop me to from breaking it again? Which promise would I break next then? My promise to become the greatest swordsman in the world?" Zoro brandished her white katana furiously. "My promise to carry this sword... My promise to YOU?"

He had her there.

"You are right. I apologize. I should not have asked such a thing of you," she admitted.

The gulf was now an ever-widening chasm, and they were standing on opposite sides.

He nodded, and turned to flee. "Then, I guess this is goodbye, Kuina." He paused, "I'm still going to be the greatest swordsman in the world. That I have to become a pirate as well to do it doesn't matter."

Kuina felt wrecked with shame. She'd believed that she came to save him from losing himself. But what she had failed to see was that it was she who had lost herself somewhere along the passage of the past few years. Here she was, like a sappy nosy woman, chasing after her childhood rival out of pure sentimentality instead of her own dream, forgetting that the main bond between them had been the sacred promise of crossing swords and little else.

Not anymore.

She drew Koyojaku from the sheath of her parasol, and let its flashing blade mingle with the needles of failling rain.

"Then I should call upon that other promise you made, then."

"Kuina —"

"I respect your decision to become a pirate and go to the Grand Line." She said, as the other persona, the cold, collected Kuina, began to take hold. "But I cannot allow my Wadou Ichiimonji to suffer the same fate. So please, Zoro. Draw your sword."

"Kuina, I'm not going to fight you-"

She snapped.

"NEEDLE —" The sword flashed through the air in a stabbing thrust. Zoro saw it coming and avoided it easily. "— PULLING THREAD!"

The sword flicked in a lashing moment, going further than what she should have been able to extend it by. He was not prepared for this follow-up and barely reacted in time to keep it from slashing his face. As it was, it scored over the skin of his cheek, drawing a thin tendril of blood.

Her hand had retained the sword by the tassel of her shikomizue, and had extended its range by a good six inches. With an almost imperceptible flick of the wrist, she had pulled the sword back in and had it by the grip again.

Zoro had his hand to his cheek where her blade had scored first blood. She could sense his surprise. And then recognition. That the Kuina who had died the night the flames claimed her face had somehow resurfaced again.

"I apologize, Kuina," he said, and she knew that a slow smile that radiated bloodlust was creeping across his face. "I'd forgotten who it was I was facing."

She shifted her stance, her blade keen.

"Don't hold back," she whispered.

He adjusted the black bandanna on his head and unsheathed all three of his swords. "I never have."

* * *

Tashigi dashed along the rain-soaked streets in hot pursuit of the two fugitives. Who was that woman that Roronoa had run off with? An accomplice? Was that how he had gotten hold of that beautiful sword? By seducing the daughter of some noble into stealing it for him?

She rounded the corner and nearly tripped over herself at the sight before her.

Roronoa was fighting the woman in the kimono, who appeared to have discarded her parasol for a long, slender, sword. And unlike his insulting toying of her earlier, he was going all out just to keep up with her. So was his opponent.

It was a stark contrast of styles. His moves were direct, but with the force of a mountain behind them. Hers were fluid and subtle, relying less on strength but the rather the blade being in the right place at the right time. Mesmerizing to watch, but at the same time, terrifying in how they were both unbridled in their fury. Between them they had reduced the surrounding area into a mess of gouges and slashes, some of which had cut through stone.

"SANZEN SEKAI!"

"OVERLOCK ONSLAUGHT!"

The marines with her had caught up. "Warrant Officer Tashigi, what's going on?" The marine who had posed the question paused, "Warrant Officer... is that your sister or something?"

"What are you talking about?" Tashigi said irritably.

"Hey! Miss! Get away from that man! He's a dangerous pirate!" another marine was calling out. An absolutely stupid thing to say, given that the mystery woman was already engaged in battle and rather obviously a fair match for Roronoa.

The two of them must have thought the same thing, because they both paused their battle to turn to the marine.

"THIS FIGHT IS BETWEEN THE BOTH OF US! STAY OUT OF IT!" both said in perfect unison. Then they turned back and continued their no-holds-barred battle again.

Flabbergasted, the marine turned to Tashigi. "Warrant Officer... what do we do?"

Tashigi didn't answer. In the brief moment the kimonoed woman had turned towards them, it was as though she had been looking into a mirror. It was her face. Layered in makeup so thick that it almost formed a mask, true. But it was still her face. Her own face.

Now that she thought of it, underneath the ornate robe that the other wore, the mystery woman's build seemed similar to hers. And she used a single sword as well. It was rather uncanny. In fact, it was unsettling as well and Tashigi had to pinch herself to make sure that she was not dreaming.

"I... " Tashigi shook her head to clear it of the fantastic theories racing through her mind. So this must have been the much vaunted "friend" Roronoa had been talking about. She certainly lived up to expectations. "Let them fight, but the moment the fight is over do not let Roronoa Zoro get away!"

While all this was going on, the fight was continuing unabated. She could barely follow half of what they were throwing at each other, it was all going on so fast.

Then it happened. Both combatants drew apart, then attacked again at the same moment. The kimono woman leapt over Roronoa's double slash attack (done with the katanas she had helped him obtain, Tashigi noted with annoyance). On landing, she had reversed her grip on her sword and had the point almost pricking into Roronoa's stomach in a backwards extend just as the former pirate hunter half-turned his head so that the white katana he held in his mouth was resting against the side of her throat.

Both fighters froze, recognising that they were at an impasse.

The street was silent, the spectators hardly daring the breathe for the fear any movement would trigger a catastrophe.

It was quite some time before someone spoke and broke the silence.

* * *

"Kuina," Zoro breathed, "You've really learned to attack."

"Zoro," Kuina replied in turn, "I cannot believe you fight with my precious katana... in your mouth."

"Technically," Zoro continued, making sure that that the slight movement of same katana in question did not cut his rival's neck, "It's mine until you defeat me and take it from me."

"I know that. Just that it's not very hygienic is it? Oh wait... no. I don't think that ever mattered to you."

"I don't get sick," Zoro quipped.

"Oh touche."

"Excuse me?" one of the marines waiting at the side piped up, "are you done with your fight yet? If you are, we'd like to get on with the business of arresting you."

"Say... are you going to arrest her too?" Zoro asked, trying to sound absolutely aloof and not concerned about Kuina at all.

"That woman is not wanted," said the warrant-officer who looked so much like Kuina. "So it's just you. But that katana will be confiscated and taken away from you, Roronoa."

_Not going to happen._ Thought Zoro as he racked his mind for a plan to avoid this.

"Not going to happen." Kuina said primly, echoing his thoughts. "I'm sorry, but the person who will take back that katana is me!"

The marines raised their rifles.

_Oh crap..._ This was not going well.

"Hey," he whispered to Kuina. "Let's do this another time."

"Whatever you are planning, Zoro, you're not..."

Before she had finished her sentence, the wind suddenly intensified. Channeled by the rows of building on either side of the street, the concentrated gust knocked everyone to the ground. _First that lightning and then the wind..._ Zoro wondered as he turned to see Kuina struggling to get up, but the voluminous robes of her kimono did not make it easy in the unnatural wind. _It really is freaky weather here._

In the distance, he thought he could hear Luffy. It sounded like he was in trouble... in fact that was definitely the sound of the love-cook getting his behind kicked. As much fun was that would be, it did not bode well for his crew. He got to his feet, grateful that his tight-fitting clothes did not have as much resistance against the wind. It was not a nice way to leave things, but he had other priorities now. One that included getting away before the white sword got confiscated.

"Zoro-kun. That's the way from which we came."

Surprised, he turned to look at Kuina. She was calm. She too, understood the necessity of him getting away this time.

"Not that way," she continued in annoyance, "THAT way!"

How was it possible that she could sense the directions without sight?

Nevertheless, he turned the other way as she indicated, and positively fled with the precious katana in possession.

* * *

She could hear the footfalls of the marines, rushing after where Zoro had gone. There was a pause as the female officer who apparently, resembled her, paused. She knew she was being scrutinized again, but she no longer cared.

But she did. He was gone. To be a pirate. And he'd gone with her sword. And she had had no choice but to let it happen.

"Kuina!"

"Piers-san!" her friend came tottering up after the pursuers had left her behind. "What is Piers-san doing out of bed? Piers-san should be resting!"

"Oh I'm all right," he said, off-handedly. "I woke up and the fever was all gone and the doctor said you'd gone off and then I asked him where and he said he didn't know. Then he said I should take it easy and wait for you to come back but then I said that Miss Kuina is very capable but all the same it's not nice to let her wander around an unfamiliar city alone and he shouldn't have let you go alone. After that he got mad and said he didn't and it wasn't his fault but if I wanted to go after you then fine but don't come back crying to him if I get sick again and so I've been looking for you everywhere and — say, did you manage to find Zoro?"

"Zoro is headed for his ship now," she stated calmly.

"Come on!" Piers grabbed her by the hand, "We can still catch up with them."

Okay," she acquiesced. "But don't think I can't tell that Piers-san is barely holding up. Strain yourself again and I'll kick —"

"— Yes Ma'am!" said Piers quickly.

* * *

The Going Merry fought through the waves, her navigator guiding her out of danger. On her decks she carried her preciously cargo of the five members of the Strawhat crew. One of whom, a swordsman who was busy stowing away the anchor.

"Zoro? Who is that?" Usopp, who had been on lookout duty, suddenly asked.

The crew whirled around to stare at the apparition that had appeared at the waterside where they had just left.

The wind was howling, but even it could not drown the shrill cry. "ZORO!"

"Shit..." Zoro couldn't help blurting, as he recognized the kimino-wearing pursuer.

"ZOROOOO!"

The cry echoed over the waves. For someone small her voice could really carry.

"ZORO, YOU BASTARD! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO THIS WOMAN THIS TIME?" Sanji was in a paroxysm of rage.

It was better this way. He'd chosen the life of a pirate, but she didn't have to get caught up in this. She had her family name and father to think about. She didn't need to get wanted by the marines like how he was going to be now.

"WHAT IS IT WITH YOU WRONGING WOMEN LEFT AND RIGHT?"

In the distance he could see a marine go up to Kuina. For a moment he stiffened. She had better not have gotten into trouble because of him.

"OI! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME, MARIMO?"

They were... talking. Even from the distance he could read their body language. It was friendly.

Was this the reason why she had been reluctant to come with him?

_Damn those marines. They'd stolen his best friend._

Shoe met face. That bastard cook had just kicked him. He was standing there now, obviously expecting a reaction. "I said _answer me_!"

_MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, DARTBOARD BROW!_

That would have been an expected retort. Or...

_SHUT UP, LOVE-COOK, YOU'RE THE PERVERT HERE!_

Yes. That would have been another typical answer.

But instead, with his face as dark as the sky above, he picked himself up, shrugged, and went to help get the ship through the storm, leaving the blond cook astonished and rather unnerved.

"What's wrong with Zoro?" he could hear Sanji ask, as Usopp shook his head in a similar bewilderment.

* * *

She'd sat, listening to the waves that carried the departing _Going Merry_ away from her.

She had failed.

"Damn you, Straw-Hat Luffy," she whispered, "You've stolen my best friend."

Behind her, Piers had finally caught up with her headlong rush for the docks. "I'm sorry, Miss Kuina," he huffed, seeing the Straw-Hat's ship in the distance.

"It's all right, Piers."

It was a lie, but it was the best she could do at the moment. Zoro had gone where she could no longer follow.

Over the sound of the wind and waves, a spoken phrase caught her ear.

"Prepare a ship."

She started. The voice was unmistakably Smoker-san's.

"I am going after that Straw-Hat," the marine captain was announcing to his men. Without even thinking, she rose to her feet, ignoring Piers' question of where she was going, and followed the sound to its source.

The female officer, who appeared to be called Tashigi (well that explained the earlier confusion) was too pledging to join in on the pursuit. She didn't sound very happy about Zoro's successful escape.

"B-but..." stammered an aghast marine, "what will happen to the town if you go? The main base will —"

"—then I will tell them not to order me around!" Smoker retorted with an air of finality. He used his imposing-ness to good effect, no one dared to contradict him. And into this atmosphere she joined in.

"Captain Smoker. I heard you are sailing after Straw-Hat Luffy," she kept her voice steady in her plea. "_Please_, let me come with you."

Smoker, she could tell, was completely unmoved. "Give me one good reason why I should bring you: a civilian, along on a Marine ship in pursuit of a thirty million bounty pirate."

Perhaps he expected her to break into pieces as she scrabbled for a reason, but she had been ready with an answer long in advance. Well aware that Tashigi stood near by and within earshot, she gave her reply.

"Because katana that Roronoa Zoro has, sir, is my family's meitou and my inheritance. Even if I have to swim out to the Grand Line itself, I intend to take it back, no matter what."

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

***Chapter Footnotes:**

[1] **Jury Mast** = Also known as a jury rigging. And makeshift mast made to replace a damaged main mast, often made from oars and poles with what's left of the sail. Naturally not as effective or maneuverable as a real mast.

_**Whew! And another new chapter in the kitty! I keep telling myself to write shorter chapters so I can release them more often but it seems that my point to point transitions won't quite allow me to do that. Ah well... and yes I made some subtle changes to how the events play out, like Smoker's fight with the Crescent Moon Pirates and Tashigi's fight with Zoro. But I try and keep it in tune with the original when I can. If I don't mention any scenes, it is safe to assume that it went the same as in the original manga/anime.**_

_**Thanks again to my regular reviewers! I'm very much heartened by your support. **_

_**Also a big thanks to the new people who have reviewed and favourited this story. You really got me to finish this story faster than I'd originally planned!**_

_**Now, to respond to some of the comments again. I'll try not to be long-winded. ;)**_

_**Aoihand: **__Why don't you have more reviews? I'm honestly stymied by that fact considering the quality of writing here compared to some of the the tripe floating around this site. _

**A:**Thanks :DWell I suppose it's because my choice of subject matter tends to veer towards more minor characters, it's AU, and probably isn't the kind of story most people look for. All the same, I'm not too concerned over review volume, I'd rather have fewer reviews if it means that the reviews that I do get are filled with information such as which parts I did right and people liked, which parts I made mistakes on and more tips on improving. A lot of the reviews I have had so far have been pretty helpful and in depth, and I'm quite happy about that actually. It's not a popularity contest for me after all ;)

_**eternitybeckons: **__I find Piers very funny; he's quite the chatterbox xD. Is he going to stick with Kuina throughout the story? or just for a little while ( I know he said "as long as I'm on leave" but still, I think it would be interesting if he ended up staying with her perminately.) _

**A: **Haha I like writing Piers too. It's like being given a keyboard and being told: "Go nuts!" He's a fun character to do and as you can tell I have plans for him... even if he has had relatively little focus this chapter. Poor boy.

_**eternitybeckons: **__I__like how you aren't going to have her join the mugiwara (not yet at least)...I don't know why, but I just don't think it would fit well =/ _

_**whateveritis12: **__I think you're getting to the point where you're going to have to have Kuina join the Straw Hats to keep her story interesting. The only other way I could think for her is for her to join the Marines, but then you have Tashigi as a similar character (though different, but they have practically the same skill set). _

**A:** Quite a few people have wanted to see Kuina join the Straw-Hats, and although I must admit that would be very interesting to have her in the crew, I didn't think it would be very consistent for her to join a pirate crew at this point in time given her low opinion of pirates.

Keep in mind that pirates like Luffy's crew are the exception rather than the norm, and normal pirates in One Piece are very nasty criminals indeed. Her sheltered life hasn't given her that many opportunities to think otherwise, whereas the Marines with their perceived high ideals of "Justice" would probably be what she would be likely to gravitate towards.

I'm not going to say that will never happen (I like to keep my stories flexible) , but I can't think of a way for her to join without feeling contrived, and I keep getting the vibe that Kuina is way too competitive to like playing second fiddle to Zoro, even if in a pirate crew.

So I took the other route. It will be a challenge to make a distinction between her and Tashigi, but I do like trying something different.

_**Gree :**__ KYAHAHAHA! To think that LUFFY could be "sly", "conniving", or "cunning" (at least in the "conventional" sense)! BWAHAHA! _

**A: **Goes to show how wrong the impression of infamous people tends to be, right? I really had fun with that, and just so you know, yes, the extension of the misconception this chapter was partially a shout-out ;)

_**yumeniai: **__II'm a bit confused about the geography of this place. In One Piece fandom, everything is supposed to be on islands, and Shelltown seperate from Zoro and Kuina's hometown, etc. Here, everything is far more connected ... _

_**A: **_They are still islands that she and Piers have to sail to and from. I based my navigation-talk on a map of the East Blue (You can google for it, I think) that I found.

Yes, they are mostly islands, but they are also rather tightly clustered together and form a chain of islands, as opposed to the Baratie which is really out in the middle of nowhere.. All that said, Kuina and Zoro's hometown is never marked on the map, so I purposely left that part vague on how Kuina and Zaito got to Shelltown. We can assume they went by cart and then took a -boat ;)

_**Until next chapter!**_


	7. A Line is Crossed, Grandly

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will.**

**Chapter 7: A Line is Crossed, Grandly.**

* * *

The ship smelt of tar and salt and was constantly filled with the noise of footsteps and flapping canvas.

It was a big ship, which meant that it didn't get tossed around as badly as Piers' little fishing boat. Which also had a directly proportional effect on how seasick Kuina could get. In this case, she hardly felt queasy. Boats, she decided, werent that bad after all.

And best of all, it was on its way to the Grand Line.

She had been lucky. After a hushed conversation with his warrant officer, Captain Smoker had consented to let her on board. It had taken some convincing though, and Smoker had imposed some conditions for her that he expected to be fulfilled if she were to come aboard.

One of which were the garments lying on the bed right now.

Nothing for it but to do it. The kimonos were part of her identity as Ichii-san's apprentice, but in exchange for passage on the ship, she'd be required to discard them for a while and fill the role of...

* * *

"...Zatsuyo!" bawled the cook, "the officers' meals are ready. Bring it over to their quarters, door's on starboard side!"

"Right away, sir!"

As part of the deal she'd made with Smoker, he'd put her down as a Zatsuyo*, a chore-girl, in the crew of his ship, as only Marines were allowed on board marine vessels.

She knew he'd pulled strings to get her in without clearing a full background check or going through training, so she wasn't about to complain, but it still rankled she was back where she started: doing odd jobs.

_It makes such an unattractive sound when it moves. _Ichii-san's words came back to taunt her.

After being used to wearing kimonos and variations of kimonos, it felt odd to be in shirt and slacks again.

She pulled the marine cap closer over her face to hide her eyes and the now rather obvious scarring that dominated her face. Her makeup hadn't been considered suitable for her new role, so she had had to go without it. Funny how exposed she now felt without the powdered mask to hide behind. The real, uglified Kuina out in the open for all to see.

But she was going to the Grand Line, and that was the important part.

A familiar voice rose from the hubbub of a dozen other unfamiliar ones. "Miss Kuina! Hey, that looks good!"

Kuina smiled. "I'm surprised Piers-san recognized me."

"Of course, you're the only other woman besides Warrant-Officer Tashigi on board," the seaman said cheerfully. "I miss the kimono though. But..." suddenly, he trailed off, catching the sight of her face.

With a rush she realized that he had never seen her without her makeup on, and the sight of her scar was probably a shock and maybe even a little revolting.

"It's an old scar," she felt required to explain. "it's —"

"— SO COOL!" Piers finished for her. "Is that real? Wow! It makes you look so... badass, if you know what I mean. Like RAR! I'm dangerous! I mean I know you were strong before but you sure didn't look it but now you look like someone no pirate would want to mess with!"

He wasn't mocking her, she realized in amazement. He actually meant it.

"Piers-san is probably the only one on board that thinks so, she said laughingly, immensely cheered up. "But I'm not very dangerous now, I don't even have my shikomizue."

Chore-girls weren't allowed to wear weapons, so she'd left Koyojaku securely stored in the quarters she shared with Tashigi. It was almost unheard of for someone of her rank to get this treatment, but perhaps because she was female and it was obviously out of the question for her to share quarters with the men, so in with Tashigi she went.

"Here, let me carry that for you."

"Don't be ridiculous, Piers-san, it's my job," she said, "but I appreciate the gesture. Doesn't Piers-san have duties to do?"

"Well, they're trying to figure out what jobs I'm supposed to do," Piers-san said, "I think they are giving me third watch to handle so I'm actually off duty now. 'Course, I'd have preferred to be on the same watch as you, but guess Captain Smoker didn't have time to sort that out."

Piers' addition to Smoker's crew had been significantly simpler than hers. Back in Loguetown, after informing Kuina of his conditions, he'd turned and fixed an eye on Piers, who had been standing behind her.

_"So, you're under the Shell Town division, are you?"_

_"Seaman Piers, First Class, sir!" Piers said as he saluted, palms inwards in classic marine fashion. "Under Commander Ripper, sir!"_

_Smoker had surveyed him for a moment before he made his decision. "Not anymore. You're being transferred to Loguetown. I'll handle the offical paper work later. If you have any belongings I'd expect to see you and them on the ship in an hour."_

And that was how Piers had ended up on Smoker's ship, and leaving the East Blue for the Grand Line.

"I'm sorry I got Piers-san caught up in this," Kuina said as they made their way onto the deck.

"Of course not, don't be silly! This is great! I get to go sailing the Grand Line, and see all sorts of amazing ships! This brig is a beauty too, and I've never gotten to sail on one of these before!"

Piers began to talk very animatedly about ships and their designs, and although over most of it flew over her head Kuina smiled and nodded.

"...and then look at that rudder, it's one of those new designs, they're supposed to be 20% more effective than the old make. And the bowsprint... say... where are we headed anyway?"

With no small amount of horror, Kuina realized that she had pulled a Zoro.

"Piers-san," she whispered urgently to her friend, "which side of the ship is _starboard*_?"

* * *

It was time for the third watch to take over the ship.

Chore-girls however, seemed to be required to work at all watches, so by the end of the day, Kuina felt extremely exhausted , and extremely discouraged. The physical work seemed easy enough, but being a fish out of the water made her a burden to everyone. The simplest of tasks needed to be explained to her before she understood, and all the sailing jargon could have been another language for all the effect it had on her.

In fact the impression she seemed to be sending everyone was that she was there for show, or maybe to fill some quota in the gender-balance/disability-friendly roster. Or to put it plainly, she was on board because Captain Smoker felt _sorry_ for her, clearly highlighted because without her makeup on the scarring, her disability became rather obvious.

She knew this was not true, but one cannot always control how other people think. And so she was miserable.

"All hands on deck, we're about to enter the Grand Line!" the call came from deck. Obediently she clambered up the stairs, careful not to hit her head against the edge of the hatch, and made her way to the bridge. Even as she pattered across the deck, she couldn't help but feel that the air was thick and muggy, and the drone of the ship's auxiliary engines had replaced the cheerful flapping of the canvas sails.

The navigator, a warrant-officer who went by the name of Briggs, was talking about keeping some course or other. As it was third watch, Piers was steering.

"We're really cutting into the Calm Belt here, sir?" he was saying to the captain as she approached.

"We will save some time and cut in front of the Straw-Hat Pirates if we do," Captain Smoker answered. "Those pirates will have to take the Reverse Mountain to enter the Grand Line, but being Marines, we have better options."

"Right sir," Piers sounded troubled. "It's just that well... I grew up hereabouts, and my pops always said that it was a bad idea to go anywhere near this part of the Calm Belt because of this one Sea King—"

"—Seaman Piers," Warrant-Officer Briggs interrupted frigidly, "Whatever your 'pops' thinks or says is of no concern to the Marines. I have given you a course, _stick to it_."

Not being much of a rebel against authority, the seaman was easily cowed.

"Y... yes sir." Piers continued steering, his very silence an indication of his real reaction.

Kuina scowled at Briggs secretly. He really was insufferable, that man. When she had to serve him meals he pretty much ignored her and never even acknowledged her presence with a thank you or anything.

Then Briggs' voice took on a patronizing tone.

"Oh yes I forgot. You newbies have never been to the Grand Line, have you? Well you needn't be so scared about the Sea Kings. You see, the bottom of this ship is lined with seastone. It makes us pretty much undetectable to Sea Kings; they'll never even notice us. You'll see."

* * *

"Well, they certainly haven't noticed us," Piers commented.

Briggs scowled at his helmsman. But if there was any witty repartee forthcoming, it seemed to be taking its time.

"Oh no..." groaned another marine. "I think it's f— aaah— _mating_!"

The ship shuddered, and the air was filled with the bellows of the very happy Sea King. The marine was right, and that Sea King _was_ probably engaging in _that _particular activity.

"You were saying something about not crossing this part of the Calm Belt?" Smoker was shouting to Piers over the sound of the sea monster.

"Oh that? Yeah. My pops used to say that there was a really big white Sea King here called Doby Mick," Piers replied, having to raise his voice to be heard as well. "I think it's this same one that we're stuck here on top of."

"For the last six hours," Warrant-Officer Tashigi noted pointedly.

Kuina had to admit that she had never expected to be on a marine ship which in the process of crossing the Calm Belt, had been unexpectedly lifted high up into the air.

And she had certainly never imagined that it would be because a sea king that had been swimming underneath them had decided to surface just at that moment.

And that particular sea king would be so big that the ship would have barely been a speck in its eye. As Piers had said, _it simply hadn't noticed them _perched on the top of its head. At all.

For some reason she was seized by an uncontrollable urge to break out laughing. She'd been told that the Calm Belt was a breeding ground for Sea Kings, but she certainly never thought she'd be in for a front seat show of the 'breeding process' itself.

Captain Smoker, however, seemed to have had enough and got to his feet, despite the shuddering of the marine vessel.

"We've wasted enough time," he said grimly, turning to them, "I'm going to put an end to this."

He then paused before advising: "I would hold on to something."

A whoosh of smoke and he was gone.

Tashigi, who was the most familiar with Smoker's methods, immediately hit the deck.

"What do you suppose he—" began Kuina, when the Sea King gave a sudden roar of pain. The marine vessel shuddered even more violently.

"He didn't!" Briggs said in disbelief.

"He did!" Piers replied in an impressed tone.

"Captain Smokeeer..." shrieked Tashigi in consternation as the ship began falling.

Kuina was too terrified to emit any kind of sound or think of anything constructive, other than she must have been sailing under the only captain in the four seas who would think that punching a giant sea-monster in the eye was a viable solution to_ any _kind of problem.

* * *

_Meanwhile, at the foot of the Reverse Mountain, Monkey D. Luffy, the captain of the Going Merry, was busily engaged in the activity of punching a giant whale named Laboon in the eye._

* * *

"We're still alive," Tashigi breathed in relief.

"Of course we are." Grunted Smoker, who had rematerialized on deck.

By some miracle, the ship had landed upright. And other than a few cracked ribs and bruises, it seemed that they had gotten away with it marginally casualty free.

"Now let's get out of here!" Smoker commanded. Officer Briggs seemed too shaky to stand, but Seaman Piers had already scrambled to his feet and manned the wheel.

"Aye-aye, sir!"

They were going to get out of the the Calm Belt, finally, thought Tashigi as she forced herself to her feet, and shook her head at her captain. He was so reckless sometimes!

"Miss Zatsuyo!"

The girl they had brought along from Loguetown immediately jumped to attention.

"Go get the doctor and let him know we need his services on deck!" Tashigi commanded. She tried not to sound harsh or rude, but her tone carried through more curtly than expected.

Tashigi was annoyed at herself. She'd promised herself that she would not be unfair or give the girl any undue attention despite the girl's connection to her nemesis. Or because of, the girl's striking resemblance to her own self.

It did not help that Kuina herself seemed more comfortable around Tashigi than the other way around. Not being blessed with the advantage of sight, Tashigi supposed, meant that Kuina didn't have to see the resemblance to Tashigi every time they met, and be reminded of how they were both so eerily similar.

It had been a shock when Tashigi had discovered that the mysterious childhood friend of Roronoa Zoro's was stone-blind. Then shame had come rushing in as she recalled Zoro's taunt about how she, Tashigi, had wasted her talents when she had had so much more.

In her mind she could see Kuina's movements still, fighting Zoro on an even footing, moving with a deadly kind of fluid grace.

How did she do it?

And why was she, Tashigi, who should have had such a large advantage over the blind girl, so far behind in terms of strength and skill?

She tried not to resent the other girl for it.

She truly did.

But human nature had a tendency of defying even the most well-intentioned of resolutions, and every time Tashigi had seen the blind girl stumbling around unable to cope with life in the marines, she'd had secretly felt glad. If that girl had effortlessly managed to be a flawless marine in addition to being a superlative sightless swordsman, Tashigi was very sure she would have hated her guts.

Rather unbecoming of her to think that. Maybe she really was that horrible a person, she mused.

She was duly broken out of her musing by a terrific splashing right ahead of the boat.

"It's Doby Mick!" yelled the helmsman.

"Again?" Captain Smoker growled.

"He's breaching*!"

Perhaps goaded by the pain in its eye, the giant white sea-king was frantically swimming and launching itself into the air. It was a sight to behold.

There are very few people who have ever witnessed a sea-monster the size of a marine base jumping clear out of the water and back in again.

There is a good reason for that. Mainly because a sea monster that large jumping in the calm waters of the Calm Belt is bound to leave an impact. An impact in the form of ripples.

To emphasize: Very very large ripples. Which in comparison to the size of the ship, could be called a several stories-tall wave that would make any normal person on a boat wet their pants. And not with sea-water (Although perhaps the salt-composition would be similar).

While it can be said that the marines, being made of sterner stuff, tend to hold up a bit better especially in the pants department, it does not automatically preclude the odd one from indulging in a bit of:

a) Panic

b) Fear

c) Irrationality

or d) All of The Above.

In this case, one opted for option d).

"Turn back!" hollered Briggs in a panic, "We need to outrun that wave!"

Even Tashigi could tell that it was futile. The wave was going to reach them long before they'd be able to turn the ship about. The monstrous wave of water was going to meet their little brig head-on and probably smash it into smithereens. And they would all be killed and drowned.

"TURN HARD TO PORT!" bellowed Briggs to the helmsman, "TUUURN!"

Seaman Piers seemed about to obey, but then suddenly shook his head and to everyone's surprise, continued guiding the ship towards the giant wave.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US ALL?" bawled Briggs.

Piers looked deathly afraid, but shook his head determinedly. "No use turning, sir! We can't outrun it and if we get hit broadside we'll capsize for sure! Our best bet is to face it head-on and ride the wave!"

"I ORDERED YOU TO TURN—" began Briggs again.

"Drop the sea-anchor!" the helmsman called out, ignoring the navigator's blustering.

"THIS IS INSUBORDINATION! COURT MARTIAL—"

"We need all the stability we can get or we'll pitch-pole*!"

"GET OFF THE WHEEL!" Briggs attempted to take the wheel by force.

"DON'T YOU TELL ME HOW TO SAIL A BOAT!" The mild-mannered marine exploded furiously in response, surprising all and sundry. "I WAS BORN ON ONE!"

That really wasn't a very clever or relevant argument, but it seemed enough make the panicky officer back off.

Somewhere in the recesses of Tashigi's mind, she knew the newcomer was right. She was about to run for the sea-anchor's lashings, but Captain Smoker had already beaten her to it. He was dropping the sea-anchor into the water even as she saw the giant slope of water touch the bow of the ship.

"HOLD ON TO SOMETHING!" She screamed as her gloved hands secured a death-grip on the railing.

The marine ship starting riding up the side of the steep slope of the water, pitching its contents and passengers crazily backwards. It was riding at an impossible angle. They were halfway up. Now they were three-quarters of the way.

_Far too steep!_ Tashigi realized in horror. Far far too steep! They were going to pitch and fall backwards off the wave and like the sailor had feared, and pitch-pole onto their own mast.

Then over the swelling roar of the wave, she heard the sound of the engines roaring to life. In disbelief she saw the boat trudge forward, cutting through the tip of the wave.

She held on for dear life as the top of the wave washed over the deck, momentarily encasing everything in a rush of salt water.

She continued holding on for dear life as the water cleared and she saw the prow slide crazily down the other side of the giant wave.

She felt her jaw snap shut as they met the bottom of the trough with a jarring slam.

And glory oh glory, only smaller waves in the wake of the first ripple that they could easily crest. They had made it. They had survived.

All around her, stunned marines were getting to their feet and releasing their hand-holds. They too, seemed amazed to be alive. The hatch swung open, and Tashigi could see the heads of the chore-girl and the ship's doctor peek out.

Seaman Piers, his moment of bravery over, shakily let go of the wheel and sat down hard on the wooden floor, as if having a difficult time believing what they'd accomplished. At that particular moment Tashigi felt she could have almost kissed the man, for there was no doubt he had saved all their lives.

But before anyone could raise a cheer, Tashigi suddenly realized what was wrong with their current picture.

"Where's Captain Smoker?" she said slowly.

As if in delayed response, a sailor cried out: "Man Overboard!"

_Damn._

She had forgotten that their captain was a devil-fruit user and thus unable to swim. When that wave had washed over the deck, it would have rendered him powerless and carried him overboard.

If Tashigi was the foul-mouthed type, she would have let loose with expletives as she sprinted towards the stern where sailors were frantically gesturing. In the distance she could barely make out the white-jacketed figure sinking rapidly into the waves.

She hadn't really contributed much in their whole crossing into the Grand Line so far, but that was about to change.

"Hold this!" she ordered, passing her sword to the nearest crewman, who happened to be the chore-girl.

As the bewildered girl took Shigure from her, Tashigi threw off her jacket and dived off the ship, and cut cleanly into the water.

With frantic strokes she began to swim.

* * *

The deck was a hive of activity.

"Turn the ship around quick!"

"Get those life-savers and lines ready!" hollered Briggs, who finally seemed to have pulled himself back together. In all fairness, once he did he was fairly useful at getting the marines mobilized.

This time, Piers obeyed and turned the ship around with a will.

"Over there!" the lookout was yelling, "It's the Warrant-Officer, and she's got the captain!"

There was the sound of cheers.

Piers snuck a look at Kuina, who was still holding on to Warrant-Officer Tashigi's sword. She seemed a little pale, he noted.

"Don't worry, Miss Kuina!" he sang out. "The worst is over, we'll just head back and pick up Warrant-Officer Tashigi and Captain Smoker and get out of this Calm Belt and before you know it we'll be in the Grand Line and going after the pirates. It can't get any worse that what we've already been through—"

"—SEA-KING!" Yelped the lookout.

The ship's doctor, who happened to be the same one from the Loguetown base, face-palmed. "You HAD to say it, didn't you, you damned fool?"

The approaching monster wasn't the Doby Mick, but a much smaller sea-king which unlike the former, _did_ notice the presence of two delicious morsels trying to regain the distance between them and their ship. The warrant-officer was trying her best to tow her hapless superior, but she was no match.

"What are you fools standing around for?" yelled the crotchety old doctor. "Do something to help her! Why you should all be ashamed to be a man while it's the lady that puts herself in danger! Oh, not you, of course, dearie," he added, turning to Kuina.

Many of the marines, including Piers, scowled. It had been rather clear early on in the voyage that the old doctor was strongly biased towards the fairer sex.

"Fire!" hollered Briggs. The marines were trying to shoot the sea-king with their muskets, but to no avail, as the thing had scales that were too thick to penetrate. And it was still closing upon Tashigi.

"Laws! Shoot the damn thing in the eyes! Do I have to think of everything here?" complained the doctor as the marines frantically reloaded their guns. "Faster!" But they were going to be too late.

"Doctor-san," Kuina said suddenly, "am I facing the direction the sea-king is at?"

"Yes dearie."

"Thank you very much."

The next thing took everyone by surprise. Kuina had taken a few steps back, and had executed a running jump off the ship, Tashigi's sword in her hand, unsheathed.

She landed sword-first on the sea-creature's back. Shigure's blade, freshly sharpened and with the weight of the girl behind it, successfully did what the bullets of the marines could not do- it pieced the hide and sank deep into the creature's flesh. Kuina slithered all over the slimy scales, but her lack of a good foothold was offset by her firm grip on the embedded katana.

The sea king, not expecting such an attack in anticipation of its easy meal, roared in pain. It might have tried to turn back on itself to face the menace if it had had more time, and it would probably have won easily, but it did not have the chance.

"Ittoryu—" muttered Kuina. The sword was still buried deep in the creature's back, and following the edge of the sword, the blind girl gripped the blade and stroked upwards.

"—SEAM SPLITTER!"

To the amazement of the watching marines, the sea-king split into two. Blood fountained, showering Tashigi and Smoker with the crimson rain. There were murmurs of admiration and disbelief from the ship.

"How did that zatsuyo do that?"

"She just killed the sea-king in one stroke!"

"It's impossible, that sea-king was way bigger than the sword!"

"Eh? Where did she go?"

Piers blinked. Kuina had suddenly disappeared from view, sword and all. "What happened to Miss Kuina?" he asked the doctor, who was watching intently.

"Lost her footing without the sword and fell into the water," the doctor replied dryly. "I imagine she'll surface shortly."

Moments passed. Tashigi had grabbed hold of one of the life-preservers and was waiting for the marines to pull her and Smoker up the side of the ship.

Still no sign of Kuina.

"Say..." Piers said suddenly, "does anyone know if Miss Kuina knows how to swim?"

* * *

_"Kuinaaaaa!" The bratty little upstart was at it again. _

_"Yeah yeah yeah," said Kuina, who had been taking a break by the stream and was annoyed to find that Zoro had been tailing her with a pair of shinai in hand. "You challenge me to a duel. Again. I know. It is Tuesday, after all."_

_It was rather cute the way the moss-headed boy turned red and indignant. _

_"This time, I'm gonna beat you!" _

_Annoying, but cute._

_They took their positions on the rocks that spanned the stream. Below them, the water flowed to form a fairly deep pool, its dark green depths tempting in grip of the summer heat. _

_It took her precisely two hits to make Zoro lose his balance and topple into the water with a neat splash._

_"Weak again," she rubbed it in unmercifully, "and clumsy. Stick to flat ground, Zoro."_

_The little boy, however, was thrashing around in the water in a panic. "Too deep! I'm dro—" _

_There was a gurgling sound as his head went under the water. The older girl paused for a while, trying to gauge if the boy was pulling her leg, then shrugged and hopped in._

_Seconds later she had the younger boy by the collar and was holding him (or his head at least) above the water. _

_"And you can't even swim? Did you even think about what would happen if... I mean, once you lost and fell in?" Her tone was mocking as she towed the boy, sullen after his display of fear, towards the bank._

_Zoro pouted. "I wasn't going to fall in," he asserted. "Besides, it's not like YOU can swim either."_

_Kuina laughed. "True, but I am also a foot and a half taller than you are, runt." To emphasize, she lifted the short little boy onto the bankside. "And my feet reach the bottom of the pool just fine," she added smugly._

* * *

She knew she should have let go of the sword and freed her hand to swim, but its significance and the thought of what Warrant-Officer Tashigi would say if she'd lost it kept it clenched in her hand.

She had thought she could swim. At least, she had tried before, once or twice, in the little stream-pool near the dojo when she was a little child. It should have been the same, but somehow the knowledge that the bottom was fathoms deep and filled with sea-kings, and that she couldn't just stop and stand up with her feet against the bottom when she felt tired, affected her. Her movements wouldn't coordinate, and she was panicking.

Now she was trashing in the water, trying to get back to the surface, but the bulk of the sea-king was blocking her way.

And worst of all, she couldn't tell which way the surface was. In the water, sound traveled differently. It was loud, yet it seemed to come from everywhere at once, effectively robbing her of her sense of direction.*

She was running out of air. Involuntarily she gasped. Cold salt water rushed into her windpipe, triggering another spasm of panicked trashing.

_I am going to drown!_ she realised.

Zoro's face flashed before her. Then her father's. Then oddly enough, her imagined impression of Mihawk's.

_Not like this! Not right after I've finally understood how to do it!_ she thought in fearful anger. _I didn't even get a chance to perform that move in front of Zoro and hear him sputter in envy!_

Her life was at its end. The fire had eaten her face and stolen her sight. And the water was going to steal her remaining senses and drink her breath. She and Zoro had a freaking destiny. And irony upon irony; he was going to find out she had drowned in a stupid incident crossing the Calm Belt.

_I can't die! I am not letting that marimo-head become the greatest swordsman in the world unchallenged! _

If she was going to die, it was going to be by a sword. _His sword_, even. At the very least. Fate couldn't be so mean as to dictate that she would die in such a trivial way. Could it?

As if in response, she felt a hand grab her by the collar, and pull her down. Except that it brought her falling _up_ into the surface, and into sweet sweet air and the warmth of sunshine on her face.

"Spit!" commanded a shrill voice, "Cough it out!"

It should have been familiar, but right now she was too busy fighting for air to recognise it. But she obeyed, bringing the water that had entered her lungs back out and drawing in deep, grateful, breaths.

After what seemed like a long period of coughing and choking, she felt a strong hand slip around her.

"You all right, Miss Kuina? Right, just relax and take a deep breath. If you keep your lungs full of air and you won't sink in the salt water*. Promise! See? Now, just hang on to me and I'll get us back to the ship. Oh and you might want to watch where you point that sword, eheheh... don't go cutting me up like you did that sea-king. That was awesome, by the way."

Tears of relief coursed down her cheeks, but with the salt water everywhere, she doubted anyone could tell the difference. "T... thank you, Piers-san."

"You should thank Officer Tashigi," Piers said as he paddled towards the ship. She could hear the sound of the water breaking against the wooden prow. "She tied Captain Smoker to the line and went back for you and kept you up before I could jump in and take over. I didn't know she was such a good swimmer, she's usually so clumsy. Err— don't tell her I said that last bit, will you?"

Kuina started. That _was_ Tashigi's voice that she had heard at first. She must have tightened her grip involuntarily, because Piers immediately tried to reassure her that he wasn't going to let her drown and she could let go a little or she might end up strangling him accidentally.

"My pops used to say it was bad luck for sailors to learn how to swim but good thing I didn't listen to him on that bit! I always said to him what would I do then if I fell off the the boat then and how else was I going to free-dive for oysters and clams? Anyway, it's impossible to live by the sea and not learn how to swim, right? Anyway, it's kinda of a good thing to know how if you travel on the ocean a lot, maybe it might help if you learned."

"I'm not much of a swimmer," Kuina admitted, inwardly wondering how he managed to keep up the patter AND swim with her clinging to him like a drowned rat; and all at the same time.

"Well..." If she could see she might have noted that Piers' ears had turned very red suddenly, "...I could teach you. Well, I guess... I mean... if you really wanted to..."

Before she could answer, an interruption in the form of a buoy and line plopped in front of them. And the conversation was rapidly forgotten as they focused their attention on getting out of the water, into the ship, and out of the Calm Belt.

* * *

Back on the deck, Captain Smoker, having recovered from his dunking, was observing the proceedings with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Are you sure you are quite all right, Captain Smoker?" his second-in-command was asking.

"You worry too much, Tashigi," he replied, reaching for a cigar to light, only to remember they had all been soaked and probably wouldn't ignite. He tossed the sodden wad away (which hit Briggs in the face, much to everyone's delight).

With great strides, he moved across the deck to where the marine he had poached from Commander Ripper was helping the scarred-faced chore-girl to her feet. He clapped a hand on the shoulder of the unsuspecting seaman.

"Seaman Piers... earlier, you disobeyed a direct order from your superior officer, Warrant-Officer Briggs, did you not?"

The startled marine began stammering. "Y... Yes, Captain S... Smoker, sir!"

"And chose a course of action that nearly resulted in your captain drowning."

Behind him, he could hear the sound of some of the other crewmen, and even Tashigi, protesting in his defence. Only the sound of the doctor's snort and Brigg's smug "hmmph" contrasted.

"By doing so, you saved all our lives. Well done."

The marine had been bracing for the worst, and the astonishment that replaced it made his already large eyes look even larger. Briggs, on the other hand, was trying very hard not to scowl.

"Keep it up. You can't go through your life relying on other people to tell you what to do. Make your own decisions. Choose your own path, and your own justice."

Piers looked about to faint at the praise. "Yes sir!" he managed to say in awe.

"As for you..." Smoker turned to the chore-girl, who still held Tashigi's sword in her grasp, "you are now a Marine Recruit. You can't stumble around like an ignorant landlubber forever and I expect you to learn your marinetime knowledge quickly. If you succeed, I'll promote you to Seaman." The corner of his lip twitched, "I can't have the fighting abilities of my men upstaged by a mere zatsuyo."

The girl blushed, but kept her poise. "Thank you, Captain Smoker sir," she said with a little bow.

He wasn't quite done yet. "Oh Tashigi...?" he said, turning to his right-hand woman, "good work."

His second-in-command looked ridiculously happy and stammered her thanks, then promptly tripped and fell over.

Smoker sighed.

"Let's get out of here," he said to the replacement helmsman, who nodded.

They traversed the rest of the Calm Belt without incident.

* * *

In the women's quarters, Kuina had changed into her new uniform. It still wasn't a kimono, but at least it felt a little bit more dignified than "chore-girl". She wondered how high she had to rise the ranks before she was allowed to wear pretty much whatever she wanted, like Tashigi and Smoker did.

Then she grinned at how ridiculous it was that she was considering promotion just so she could change her attire. How ridiculously vain. Zoro would have loved to make fun of her for that.

It still made her frown to think of Zoro. He was a pirate now. And she had, without even intending to, become a marine. On top of their rivalry they were now by that very definition, sworn enemies. And yet... she knew she still worried about him and when they finally met up she wasn't sure she wanted to see his reaction to it.

"Stupid girl," she scolded herself, plopping herself down on her bunk. "He doesn't worry about you this way, stop trying to care and get your family sword back."

On her bed was Koyojaku. She had been trying to fashion a new sheath for it, reasoning that the delicate parasol housing was not appropriate for the outfit of a marine. No, that went with the kimono, and she would not use it until she had the freedom to wear one again.

Next to Koyojaku was Warrant-Officer Tashigi's sword, Shigure, which she had prepared for cleaning. It was a beautiful katana. slightly longer than her own Wadou, and with an intriguing star-shaped guard and ornate sheath.

It had been so long since she had wielded a true katana. For that one moment, when she had fought the sea-king, she'd felt invincible.

_She had split the giant sea-monster in half..._

Ever since the _Baratie_ incident where Mihawk had cut the mast of Piers' little boat into two, she had surmised that perhaps, just perhaps, he hadn't been trying to kill them. In fact, she suspected that he had been feeling charitable, and was indirectly trying to show her how she could move forward; it was a demonstration of a skill she had yet to, but needed to learn.

_The power to cut an entire battle-ship in half. _

With the right touch, a sword was no longer thing cutting tool. It was a guide. A platform to project an intangible something she couldn't describe. Something sharper than a blade's edge, something stronger than fire-folded steel, yet more subtle than a breath of air.

In her practices, she had secretly tried to emulate what he had done, but without success.

Something had still been missing. And it wasn't until that moment, standing on the deck with the knowledge that the sea-king was going to devour Captain Smoker and Officer Tashigi, that she finally realized what it was.

_Concentrated will: The intent to kill._

She picked up Shigure and held the blade in her hand, remembering.

It has been as though at that moment, the sword had spoken to her. Perhaps out of concern for its true owner, _(What a fanciful thought!)_ she'd suddenly felt a connection with it, and a certainty that she somehow, this time, _she could_.

And it had not failed her.

Even now, with the katana in her hand, she could almost feel _it_ again. Focusing, she swished the blade along the wooden floor, careful to keep it at least an inch away from any actual contact. Then she knelt and felt the wooden surface.

She hadn't imagined it. The wooden floor bore the long straight cut of a slash.

The door opened.

Kuina whirled around as Tashigi walked in. Instantly she realized what an odd sight she must have presented, a naked sword drawn at close quarters for no apparent reason. She really couldn't blame the marine officer for regarding her suspiciously.

"My apologies for using it without Tashigi-san's permission," Kuina began. "I was trying to clean it... I— I'm afraid it got wet with the sea-water."

The sword-enthusiast that she was, Tashigi did not look pleased at the idea that her precious Shigure had been exposed to corrosive salt water and would require a night's thorough cleaning to be restored. Despite Kuina's protestations, she deliberately leaned over and plucked the sword from Kuina's hands, saying that she, Tashigi, would see to the cleaning of it herself.

There was a strained silence. Kuina strove to break it.

"Piers-san told me you saved me from drowning earlier," she started to speak. "I would like to—"

"—don't thank me." Tashigi was examining her sword as she spoke, "I was in your debt for killing that sea-king."

Was she imagining the stiffness in her superior officer's voice?

"Have I displeased Tashigi-san?" Kuina asked, tentatively.

"No," the other woman replied quickly. Far too quickly to be convincing. "I'm just... tired, that's all. It's been a long day. Excuse me."

The door slammed, leaving a Kuina who was trying to make sense of it all, behind. Could it have been her unauthorized use of the warrant-officer's sword? Maybe. She tried to imagine what it would have been like Tashigi had been messing around with her Koyojaku.

Annoyed, sure, but even so that was a disproportionate reaction. So it couldn't JUST be that.

She sighed. She wasn't sure what else it was that bothered the warrant-officer, but it was going to be really uncomfortable if this kept up and they shared the same quarters.

There was a knock at the door.

"Miss Kuina?"

"Piers-san!" Kuina couldn't keep the smile from her face as she flung open the door. The marine seemed to have his hands full. "What it is that you have there?"

"Books," replied Piers. "I borrowed them from Briggs' library. Well, I had to name-drop Captain Smoker before he would let me have them, the cranky bast— oops, sorry Miss Kuina. Anyway, I figured you could use a hand getting up to speed with the whole marine thing and since I did pretty okay on the exams and everything and since I'm not on duty right now I thought I'd help you get started."

"There are _exams_?" Kuina tried not to sound horrified.

"Yep! And here's a notebook for you to take notes. "

"Piers-san," Kuina tried to be tactful. "Thank you, but... I can't read... or write."

Piers was non-plussed. "Then I guess you're going to have to learn by rote then. But one way or another, we're going to make a marine out of you!" She knew he was flashing his infectiously wide grin.

Kuina grinned back, and surrendered to her fate.

* * *

The days and nights flew past rapidly on board Smoker's ship.

Over the course of the weeks, Kuina learned about the history of the marines (which went over her head, or perhaps she did not understand it well enough), navigation (enough to know she would never be any good at it) and the routine duties expected of a sailor (there were many tasks, such as being the ship's lookout, that she would never be able to, or be expected to perform).

She also learned of philosophy of Justice, and politics: The delicate balance of powers that held sway over the world they lived in. She learned of the World Government, the Nobles, the organized chaos that was the Four Yonkou, and the uneasy amalgamation of all of the above in the form of the shichibukai, or the Warlords of the Sea.

Most of all, she learned that the most important attribute one needed to rise in the ranks of the marines was not related to how good a sailor one was, but rather, how much fighting ability one had.

So that was how Hawk-Eyes Mihawk had done it, she had thought. A pirate so feared that the World Government had to tempt him to their side, lest he become an even more fearsome opponent on the side of the lawless. Perhaps some day she would meet him again. And cross swords with him, even. Just to take the wind out of Zoro's sails, she thought wickedly.

The most practical and interesting subject among the lot was geography. But it was a different kind of geography than what she was used to. Back home, any geography she knew had to do with the layout of the land. But this was the layout of the sea. From currents and tides and winds, to hidden reefs and dangerous shoals. The land was only a blank mass, the only point of interests being whether the shores could be landed on, and if they were any good for restocking or trade.

It was an entirely different perspective on things.

"So we cut through the Calm Belt here and entered the Grand Line at this point. The log pose will point us to the closest island and then we'll be able to trace a route from there."

"Log pose?"

Piers proceeded to explain about the magnetic device that all travelers on the Grand Line used. It seemed bizarre to her, but the Grand Line in general seemed bizarre, so she simply shrugged and accepted it.

"All right. Exercise for you: what's the next island we are going to arrive at?"

Kuina tried not to look dismayed. Given the marine's easy-going demeanor, she'd never would have thought that he could have been such a slave-driver when it came to lessons.

"Err... " she began, trying her best to trace the route on the map.

It had been fortunate that the map was engraved, not inked, and her fingers could make out the contours.

"C-A-C-T-U-S I-S... " The letters took form beneath her fingers, "...Cactus Island!"

Piers was grinning. "You got it, Miss Kuina!"

"What's a cactus?"

"You've never seen one before?"

"No, Piers-san."

"Well, it's a kind of plant. It looks kind of like a small bush, except that it's kind of thick and fleshy it's got water and jelly inside. And it doesn't have branches. Or leaves. And it's green and it's got spikes all over it. And the stem's kinda soft instead of woody. And they aren't bushy at all — er... " He paused self-consciously, "Ok, maybe they don't look like small bushes at all... but they tend to grow in desert islands."

"Is Cactus Island a desert island?"

"Never been there, so can't say, but we're going to find out soon, 'cause we'll be landing there in a few hours."

"It sounds like it will be an interesting experience," said Kuina.

They had had no idea then, how _interesting_ it would really be.

* * *

This was not how it should have been.

The flames burned merrily on the surface of the water.

The marines on board Smoker's ship were stunned at what greeted them as they sailed through the mist into the port of what was supposed to be their first island of the Grand Line.

The town of Whiskey Peak should have been there, nestled in the cove of Cactus Island. Instead they found wreckage strewn all along the water's surface, and the remains of a mast still protruding from the water. What remained of the town was half-collapsed buildings, and bodies were strewn everywhere. Random fires were still merrily burning in the background.

"Who— what did this?" Tashigi breathed at last.

"Do you really need to guess?" Smoker grunted as he exhaled between cigars.

Tashigi knew the answer. They all knew. But none of them voiced their convictions just yet. No, not without confirmation.

Procedure kicked in and the marines were ordered to fan out and search for survivors and or remaining threats. It wasn't long before they ran into one of the former.

It was a woman, and she had to be half-supported by the marine who had discovered her cowering under a section of roof.

"What happened to this town?" Smoker asked her, as the another marine rushed for the doctor.

The woman looked up at him, with shell-shocked eyes, and spoke.

"It was p-pirates."

There was a collective murmur amongst the marines in response.

"The first one... he was a demon wielding three blades..."

Tashigi and Kuina simultaneously stiffened at hearing this.

"...single-handedly took down a hundred of our men... then the other pirate with him wiped us out and destroyed our town."

Smoker's eyes were narrowed. "This pirate, did he have a name?"

"Yes," the survivor said slowly, shuddering at the memory. "His name was Straw-Hat Luffy."

Smoker stood in silence for a moment, before exhaling another puff of smoke in a manner reminiscent of a sigh.

"So much for cutting in ahead of them."

Behind them, there was the sound of the howling wind, and the desolate flutter of torn, flapping canvas.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

***Chapter Footnotes:**

[1] **Zatsuyo**= Lowest rank of marine, what Coby and Helmeppo were stuck doing before Garp came along and took them under his wing.

[2] **Starboard **= The right side of the ship when one is standing facing the front. Starboard is called that because that was the side the steering oar (Steer-board!) used to be before people switched to using rudders. FYI, the left side of the ship is called port, and traditionally was the side that you docked with (hence 'port'). But I'm sure everyone knew that already.

[3] **Breaching** = I have no idea if Sea-Kings can be considered a mammal or a fish. I'm guessing mammal, they fit the characteristics better. Anyway, I have decided Sea-Kings breach like whales and dolphins do. Sometimes. At least.

[4] **Pitch-Pole** = What happens when a ship capsizes from front to back instead of side to side. More accurate to say that the ship somersaults, lands on its back, smashes its mast and anyone on that ship is in essence, _screwed_.

[5] **Sound Being Distorted Underwater** = This part is real and I did not make it up. Sound gets all funky underwater, it really is different from when you are on the surface.

[6] **Deep Breath of Air = Not Sinking in Salt Water**. This is actually true in real life. If you keep your lungs full of air and relax, you'll find there is enough buoyancy in sea-water to keep you afloat even without swimming. Sadly most people do not realize this and sink because they panic and swallow water, which causes them to panic even more and tire themselves out by thrashing around. Do note however, that different rules apply in fresh water, and you're probably not going to float well even with a lungful of air, so keep your head and keep paddling!

* * *

_**Firstly, I am quite aware this chapter focuses more on Smoker's group than the Straw-Hats. I'd originally planned to interleave the story from both Kuina and Zoro's points of view, except that I found out that after the events of the last chapter, it simply did not work.**_

_**So in the end I realized because both Kuina and Zoro have sort of drifted apart, their stories do too. Or at least I'm going to have to change the way I present them. Well, we'll see how it goes.**_

_**Now for the usual Q and A:  
**_

_**Dadeedoo: **__One thing, though. Sometimes, when you describe things, and then have Kuina react to said thing, it's like... well, it's kinda like she can see that the thing is green, or something like that, you know? Well... I guess not, since my powers of explanation are sadly crappy X) but I suppose what I'm trying to say here is that sometimes you describe things that a blind person shouldn't be able to notice, amirite? _

**A: **Thanks for the advice :D It's not the first time someone has told me that, and I did take more care to be more consistent in the later chapters but I'm guessing that the instances you were referring to were from Chapter 4 (the part with the cat pirate in the Shelltown inn).

Anyway, I caved and went back and revised that part so it doesn't have so much of a dissonance. Feel free to check it out and do drop me another boot if you spot more of the same errors.

_**Xoroth: **__Once again an amazing chapter. I too feel like Kuina joining the Straw-hats would be rather difficult at this time. Besides a minor spelling error it's great._

**A: **Cheers for that! I went through the chapter again, fixing a few grammar and spelling mistakes. You know the strangest thing of all is that I am a self-confessed grammar and spelling nazi myself. Yet when it comes to my own work my brain tends to shut down after the 4th rewrite or so and automatically fills in the missing words or correct spelling when I read my mistakes. It's annoying :( Maybe I need to get me a beta reader...

_**Aoihand:**__ My favourite bit (apart from the "It's the Pirate Hunter Zoro!""He's in our base, sweeping our floors!""THE FIEND!") was when Tashigi saw their fight..._

_..._

_I also liked the gap that sprung up between Zoro and Kuina. It's cruel but appropriate for the fic and it all flows well._

**A: **I wish I could claim credit for the "he's in our base, sweeping our floors!" bit, but anime filler gets the credit for that. I was laughing like crazy when I saw that episode. I did reword the phrasing so it sounded a lot more like the internet meme though XD

It's going to be a challenge with Tashigi, but I find challenges tend to draw out the best writing. Forced into creativity. The best kind ^_^

The conflict betwen Zoro and Kuina was the hardest part of writing this chapter I have to say. I really didn't want it to be those very contrived accidental misunderstanding conflicts, but a real disagreement over fundamental values and beliefs, and yet retain the fact that Zoro and Kuina do care about each other despite this (and despite the fact they were trying to cut each other into ribbons).

_**Naruto D. Kurosaki:**__ I wonder which of Kuina's reactions to certain news will be funnier. That Zoro defeated a man who's body was as strong as steal(She'll probably go into a corner and sulk about being left behind). Or finding out what Mugiwara(Strawhat) is really like._

**A:** Oh yes, it'll be fun. Kuina might be trying to act like a lady but oh my, is she competitive! She wouldn't sulk though. Well, ok, she might sulk, but she'd be training like crazy while she does it to one-up Zoro the next time she sees him.

_**Ippiki Ookami no Fuyu:**__ I wonder what will happen once/if she finds out the type of person Luffy really is and why Zoro chooses to follow him (I know it's because he gave his word, but still, what would she think)_

**A:** Heh, I'm particularly looking forward to writing that. Especially her image of Luffy keeps growing more and more sinister each time. When they finally do meet, it's definitely guaranteed be an interesting event.

_**Gree: **__I believe you, the author, made a good choice in deciding that Kuina would not become a pirate at this moment. Zoro and Kuina need to develop independently if they are to rise at all. I don't think it would be good for them to travel together for the rest of time. They'd be constantly overshadowing the other, neither one growing or maturing, stuck in the past._

**A:** Wow, you pretty much put into clear, succinct, words what was on my mind. I didn't want Kuina to be a female Zoro. Zoro is Zoro and Kuina is Kuina, and I felt that to do the character justice she needed to have her own adventure instead of being in Zoro's shadow.

_**So thanks to everyone for reading, and thanks for the reviews! I love them, and especially the fantastic feedback. Keep it coming!**_

_**Now that I finished off "In Five Pieces" (Man was that a drabble challenge that totally got out of hand. Fun, but totally went out of intended scope AND scale. No regrets though.) I should hopefully be able to write with less distraction. **_

_**Oh I forgot to mention that there's some rough doodles of some of the characters on my deviant art account again. Nothing particularly impressive, just some greyscale doodles, but in case you are interested: ( pingteo[dot]deviantart[dot]com/art/One-Piece-TABCF-Doodles-158941397). There's also other OP related stuff there for those of you who like to poke around.  
**_

_**Until next chapter!**_


	8. The Affair at Runes

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will.**

**Chapter 8: The Affair at Runes.**

* * *

_The citizens of the Whiskey Peak cowered before the menace that loomed before them. Women cried and children bawled as the pirate, resplendent yet menacing in red coat and wearing a straw-hat on his head, stood at the bow of the boat looking down at them._

_"Despair, citizens of Whiskey Peak!" laughed the man whose sinisterly grinning countenance had decorated the miscellaneous bounty posters. "I am Straw-Hat Luffy, and your quaint little town is DOOMED! AHAHOOHOOHAHAA!"_

_"Never!" a lone voice rose in defiance, "as long as there is one of us who will stand against you, you will never be victorious here!"_

_"Yeah, we'll take you on!" roared another voice. "Sail away from here while you can, pirate!"_

_The brave men of the town had gathered, and they stood a hundred men strong. Surely this was enough to stop the fearsome pirate? Surely it was enough to make that lone pillager back down?_

_Alas, it was not to be._

_"Zoro!" said Straw-Hat Luffy in a low, ominious tone, "come forth!"_

_He appeared, like a bladed demon, his dark eyes hidden under an equally dark bandanna. The terror of the East Sea- The Demon Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro!_

_"You know what to do."_

_"Captain, this will be a stain upon my honour!" protested the swordsman._

_"Zoro, your captain demands obedience," drawled Luffy, "I command you: KILL THEM! ALL OF THEM!"_

_Wordlessly, the ensorcelled swordsman raised his blades. And the screams of terror began._

* * *

Yes, That was probably how it had happened.

"Miss Kuina..."

She had been standing in the ruin of the town of Whiskey Peak. Captain Smoker had sent the marines to look for more clues to the wherabouts of Straw-Hat Luffy while he interviewed the sole survivor of the massacre. Other than the certainty that Straw-Hat was the culprit and it had been Zoro that who solely taken on a hundred of the townspeople, there hadn't been much else in terms of information. The woman had been in shock, and Doctor-san had insisted that they not strain her too much in questioning.

So it was down to the old-fashioned way of information gathering.

The fact that Zoro had been so directly involved in something like this hurt her. This was not the childhood friend that she knew. The Zoro that she knew would put his sword through his own stomach before he engaged in this kind of indiscriminate slaughter.

No, what Zoro did at Shelltown, saving a girl, that was what the Zoro who was as close as a brother to her would do. But not _this_.

_It was all that Straw-Hat Luffy's fault! _she decided. Slowly and surely, the villain was corrupting him!

Although, whenever she thought of Zoro taking on a hundred armed men by himself and winning, she couldn't help feeling a little envious.

_One hundred men_! That annoying marimo-head. Just when she'd thought she'd topped him by slicing up a sea-king he'd gone and one-upped her again. So effing hard to catch up to, that jerk was—

"Miss Kuina!"

Kuina started. Piers had been trying to get her attention for the past few minutes.

"I apologize, Piers-san. I was just uh— thinking about what happened here."

"I've been thinking too, Miss Kuina. It's odd."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, your brother, being a swordsman, would have probably left all these slash marks..." began Piers.

"Zoro's not my brother," she said testily.

Piers tried to sound sympathetic. "I see. I know how hard it can be sometimes when families..."

"I said he's NOT MY BROTHER!"

Koshiro's daughter. Ichii's apprentice. Then (mistakenly) as Tashigi's sister and then now (equally mistakenly) as Zoro's sister. Why was it she always had to be likened to someone else' s somebody to be anybody?

_Stop whining and learn to live with the way life works, girl._ The voice in her head sounded exactly like Ichii-san. And as usual the old woman was right of course. Whining was for spoiled brats. Not a dignified lady of war.

"I apologize for snapping, Piers-san," Kuina spoke up. "But Zoro's really not my brother. Just a close childhood friend, almost like a brother, but we're not related by blood."

"Heh, guess I kinda got confused on that," Piers replied sheepishly, not the slightest bit offended, it seemed. "I just kinda assumed being so good with a sword had to run in the family."

"Anyway, you were saying something earlier, Piers-san?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, the slashy thingmajig. I mean some of this damage looks like it could be from slashity swords... but the rest of these are really kinda out of place. For example, those houses look more like they've gone kaboom from a bomb." He suddenly grabbed Kuina's arm. "And I daren't even guess what made that huge crater you were 'bout to fall in."

"Cannons?"

Piers chuckled. Apparently despite his lessons, her ignorance of marine warcraft was rearing its ugly head again. "Not this far inland, Miss Kuina. Not unless they had a really huge cannon, and one that big couldn't have fit in the small ship the Straw-Hats have.

"I'll have to take your word on that," Kuina said, since she personally had no idea what the ship looked like. But in her mind she couldn't help but agree.

_How curious._

* * *

"How curious." Tashigi thought to herself.

Doctor-san was making a fuss over the woman survivor. This was expected behaviour from him, but Tashigi had a niggly feeling that something did not add-up.

The woman was quite attractive in her own way with her curly brown hair and pleasant countenance. She'd given her name as Youbi Moko. The story she had told had been of a pirate ship sailing into harbour. Fearful of the pirate's retaliation, the peaceful inhabitants had tried to bribe them with food and drink into not destroying the town, but it had not worked.

Tashigi frowned. She had no doubt that Roronoa Zoro was more than capable of laying waste to an entire town on a whim, but given that the townspeople had tried to cooperate with Straw-Hat Luffy, it seemed odd that he would have destroyed the town so quickly before they had had their fill.

Maybe Roronoa and Straw-Hat had some disagreement and it had led to a brawl that got out of hand. As quickly as the thought came to her, she dismissed it. That would have been too coincidental. _Surely._

But still, something about this whole business niggled at her. And she kept getting a funny feeling that there was something important about Whiskey Peak that she was forgetting.

* * *

Smoker's opinion was that while Warrant-Officer Briggs was an annoying ass most of the time, it had to be said that when he did get down to it, he could be quite brilliant.

"I'll bet my pension on it," Briggs was saying, pointing at his sea-charts. "Those pirates wouldn't have access to an eternal pose, they'll just follow their log pose to the next island." Then the officer grinned. "And then that's where we'll catch them, because it's freaking _Little Garden_!"

"How long does it take for the pose to set on that island?"

"One year."

Smoker nearly spat out his cigars. "One... year?"

"Everyone has that reaction," Briggs said smugly. "But yes, the log pose there takes three-hundred-and-sixty-five-days to set. If they're lucky we'll catch them while they're waiting. If they are unlucky, well— ever seen a _Giganotosaurus_? Nasty animal. In fact, that's the one most ignorant idiots mistake for _Tyrannosaurus rex. _Oh, I believe the ones on Little Garden are particularly fond of pirates. As in for eating," he added, as if that obvious bit of trivia needed to be explained.

"Actually, I have seen... _met_ a _T. Rex_, or whatever you want to call it," Smoker replied coolly. "Just like everything else, it's only as special as the mind behind it."

"R... Right! Anyway as I was saying, we shouldn't even bother with the whole town search thing and just go after the Straw-Hats at Little Garden A.S.A.P."

"The men are out searching the town and Tashigi is questioning the survivor." Smoker grunted. "We can recall them, but there's the question of the survivor, we can't just leave her here."

"We could bring the survivor along with us."

Smoker did not look pleased.

"Something wrong, sir?"

"While I have no doubt that Straw-Hat had some part in ravaging Whiskey Peak, something still stinks about this whole thing..." Smoker looked deep in thought for a moment.

"...Briggs, what's Whiskey Peak known for again?"

* * *

"Whiskey?"

"No, rum." The marine shook his head as he sniffed the bottle. "Bink's Extra Special Gold Label. Not much of it left, looks like someone had quite a party here."

The figure hiding the shadows frowned. The marine with the tanned skin and dark hair, and the other marine, a pale brunette of a female, were standing in the shell of a building that a few nights ago, been the main inn of the town. Like the rest of Whiskey Peak, there wasn't much of it left. He knew that he was well concealed amidst the wreckage and that the two marines who had been assigned to search the area hadn't any idea that he was even there.

It wasn't particularly hard to stay that way. The male marine had kept up a running commentary of the surroundings for his companion's benefit and effectively masked any sound he made.

Much to his annoyance, his muscles were cramping from crouching for too long. He flexed a little to relieve them. By sheer bad luck a rotten and half-burnt floorboard under his feet creaked. It was the slightest of sound, but immediately the female marine whipped around, trying to place it.

It took one to recognize one. Very unassuming, but the stance was a dead giveaway and the figure noted that her hand had flown to the white cane she carried. It was obvious that of the two, the girl was the more dangerous one.

The male marine seemed to notice her movement, because he put down the bottle and immediately asked if everything was all right.

"I thought I heard something, Piers-san."

In response, male marine was heading now heading towards his direction as indicated by the girl. The figure stiffened. It would not do to get caught right now. It was unlikely she could pinpoint his location just by that, but all the same, he prepared Kashu if its use was necessary.

Much to his relief, the en-route the marine stepped on another similarly half-burnt floorboard, which produced a similar sound and was accordingly identified by the girl as such. The marine's attention was thus directed to the immediate area and the objects scattered all over the floor.

"Huh..." There was the sound of rustling papers. "Guess what, Miss Kuina? There's a huge bunch of wanted posters here." He began flipping through the tattered leaves. "It's the newest edition too... Whoa, there's some real crazy bounties on these new faces..." He began reeling off names. " 'Captain'... 'The Magician'... 'Red Flag'... 'Dark Doctor'... 'Straw-Hat' … Say, did you know that Straw-Hat Luffy's worth 30 million beli? I didn't know he was worth that much! I mean the highest bounty I've ever seen in East Blue was Arlong and honestly that guy was a legendary Sunny Pirate, I would've thought he was worth much more but maybe since their captain turned shicibukai they plea-bargained and reduced the bounty on the rest of that crew or something."

"Perhaps Smoker-san would know."

"Smoker-san would know that," agreed the marine enthusiastically. "Though I wonder... why would the townspeople here be collecting so many wanted posters? I mean most of 'em just stick 'em on the wall and are done with it."

"Uh... Who else... ?" began the girl.

"Well, marines..." the marine answered before she'd even finished the question. "...pirates, 'cos they tend to like braggin' about their bounties, and uh... bounty-hunters."

There was a pause.

"Piers-san, I've got it!"

"What is it, Miss Kuina?"

"The bounty-posters!"

"...?"

_Great. Just what they needed. And all because those idiots at Whiskey Peak couldn't handle a 30 million beri pirate and their stupid crew. _

If those two figured the whole thing out... the results would be nasty. Briefly, he briefly considered taking the two out then and there— until he heard the continuation of their discussion.

"They must have seen them and thought it was a trap!"

"You're right! The townspeople! It's obvious now why Straw-Hat Luffy destroyed the town!"

"THEY MISTOOK THE TOWNSPEOPLE FOR A GANG OF BOUNTY-HUNTERS!"

Meanwhile, the figure who had been intently eavesdropping on their conversation, face-palmed.

* * *

The marine ship left Whiskey Peak, leaving behind the ravaged town for the next island.

"Captain Smoker sir, thank you for bringing me along," said Youbi Moko, who was seated by the railings of the ship watching the large cactuses that marked the island shrink into the horizon.

"We couldn't very well have left you there in that ruin, could we, dearie?" Doctor-san interjected. "You'll be safe with us until we get to the next inhabited island."

"We didn't have the time for a proper investigation," Tashigi lamented.

"We'll have all the investigation time we need when we catch up to those Straw-Hats," retorted Smoker. "But even with a year-long log pose set time, I am not taking any chances with letting the Straw-Hats get away again." He fingered the jutte that was slung over his back, as if in memory of Loguetown.

"You're so dedicated, Captain Smoker!" Moko murmured huskily.

Tashigi turned her face so no one could see her scowl. It was normal, she supposed, that the woman should show the marines some gratitude, but that woman seemed to be taking it a step too far. Smoker however, seemed to not have noticed anything. He was sitting deep in thought still.

A marine trotted up, a sheaf of papers in hand. "They've finally gotten it to us, sir!"

"Is that the transfer papers?" Tashigi looked interested. "And the other thing?"

"Yes Ma'am!"

"General Ripper is very efficient," Smoker extolled as he looked through them. "Everything looks in order." He gave the group gathered on deck a wave as he strode off. "If you'll excuse me, I have some marine business to do."

* * *

"Petty-officer?" Piers had said in astonishment.

Smoker had appeared and handed something papery-sounding to Piers while he and Kuina were sitting in the communication room. They had taken the opportunity of the long journey to Little Garden to continue her seafaring education. As usual, Piers was drilling more information into her head (apparently his verbal tendency for information-overloading carried over to his imparting of knowledge) and she was desperately trying to take it in a form that would allow her to remember what it was for more than five minutes.

Today, Piers had been introducing her to the main means of communication used by the marines: The den-den mushi. His explanation of the difference between the different types of the little snail-like creatures had been rather comprehensive, but perhaps his lesson might have been more effective if he didn't punctuate the lesson with intervals of feeding the little invertebrates and giving them little pats on their noodley little heads. Or eyestalks. Or whatever appendages it was that they had on top of their heads.

It was at this point when Smoker had shown up with a snarky reprimand about not spoiling the communications equipment rotten by pampering them excessively. Piers had broken off and was halfway through stammering an apology when Smoker had, with some irritation, told the fisherman-turned-marine to relax and not take the remark too seriously. It was also at this point when he had handed over to Piers the aforementioned papery-sounding thing, which had turned out to be a letter of promotion.

"When we left Loguetown, we were forced to sail without sufficient preparation because of the time constraints," Smoker had grunted between puffs of cigar smoke. "Amongst those lacking are experienced officers. Tashigi is inexperienced and Briggs is experienced but... well he's _Briggs_..."

"But why me... sir?" The young man sounded shocked.

"You were already a First-Class Seaman before, so think of this as encouragement," Smoker replied. "In our pursuit of dangerous criminals, I will need people I can rely on to think for themselves. And you fit the bill."

"Petty Officer Piers does have a nice ring to it," Kuina commented encouragingly.

She really couldn't understand why Piers was so flustered by the whole thing, until he attempted to turn down the promotion.

"What was that? I can't hear you, Seaman," Smoker's voice was beginning to sound annoyed.

"I can't be a petty-officer, sir," said the marine in a small voice. "I'm not good at fighting."

Smoker sounded surprised at this. "It says in your record you single-handedly took out three vicious pirates in Shelltown."

"The records were wrong, sir. I didn't— Miss Kuina here did. If she hadn't I'd have been killed dead, sir."

There was an ominous silence.

"Piers-san did not attempt to claim the credit, Captain Smoker," Kuina quickly spoke up for her friend. "Just that no one believed him when he told them it was me... well... I didn't exactly make it easy for them to believe it back then."

Captain Smoker was silent again. But perhaps because he was a rather remarkable man, he took it all in his stride.

Piers was duly told to report to Tashigi for special combat training, because it was too late to change things and he was going to be a petty-officer anyway.

Kuina was duly told she was in danger of being promoted again, mainly because the discrepancy between her ability and rank didn't reflect too well, and he really didn't like to have to explain why one of the most powerful fighters on the ship was barely anything more than a raw recruit.

* * *

Even from the distance the cries of the denizens of the savage island could be heard. The more inexperienced marines shuddered at the sound. There was something undoubtedly primal about dinosaurs that could strike fears into the hearts of men than the probably more dangerous— but also more mudane, sea-kings.

Smoker's ship was anchored upriver of what was according to Briggs, the main river of Little Garden. Thanks to the skills of their navigator and helmsman, their modest twin-masted brig had made the the journey in record time. Well, if you were to believe the navigator's bragging, that is.

Unfortunately, the Straw-Hats' ship was nowhere to be seen.

Naturally Smoker had not been pleased.

"I don't understand this!" Briggs wailed in dismay, "The Runes Rivermouth should have been the only place that could have been safe for them to port. They should've been stuck here for a year! _A Year_!"

"Maybe the dinosaurs got them?"

"And ate their ship as well? Don't be ridiculous, Tashigi," growled Smoker.

The atmosphere in the communications room was gloomy and tense, and not even newly-promoted petty-officer Piers' perpetual sunniness could survive it.

"So there's only one other possibility," surmised Briggs desperately. "Those Staw-Hats found some other means of avoiding Little Garden's one-year log pose setting time. Some kind of advanced log-pose that speeds up the setting time that we've never heard of..."

"Could be an eternal pose, sir."

The was a pregnant pause.

"It's most likely," concurred Smoker. "But that brings us another problem- How would the Straw-Hats have gotten hold of an eternal pose?"

"Looted it from Whiskey Peak?"

"Not likely sir," came the quiet addition from the corner. "Else they wouldn't bother with Little Garden and just sail straight to the wherever the post pointed to from Whiskey Peak."

There was another period of tense silence. Tashigi opened a port window, because the cabin was getting so full of smoke that hardly anyone save Smoker could breathe. Even the den-den mushis were emitting little coughing sounds in their sleep.

Finally, Smoker spoke again.

"Which means they probably got the eternal pose from here," he gave a sigh. "We have no choice then. Tashigi, get the men ready and we'll comb the island for clues."

"Yes sir!" The warrant-officer jumped to her feet.

The matter that now remained was process of obtaining a lead to the pirates themselves. Which was easier said then done. Despite its name, Little Garden was neither 'little' nor could it be by any stretch of imagination be called a 'garden'. With Briggs' warning that the terrain was extremely hostile and they would have to make sure that the squads sent out to search the island did not end up dino-chow. As such it was decided after a brief conference that each search party be led by an officer.

Piers, being the most junior officer present, was given the task of guarding the ship. Due to his affinity with the den-den mushi, he had also been given the additional role of communications officer and manning the array of telepathic invertebrates. He'd also been given the task of monitoring any den-den mushi communications in the area, courtesy of the black wiretap den-den mushi which he now had on his wrist.

Kuina's disability meant she wouldn't be much use in a search party, so she'd been tasked with staying on the ship as well. As just a common seaman, it wasn't in her place to object, as much as she wanted to find Zoro herself.

And so, the search parties were divided into three main parties: Tashigi + platoon of marines, Briggs + platoon of marines, Smoker and Smoker alone.

Armed with map and directions for coverage area, set forth into the deep jungle, leaving behind a skeleton crew consisting of a rescued survivor, a cook, a doctor and two marines on board.

* * *

In the cargo hold of marine ship, the figure crept cautiously out of the crate from which said figure had concealed self in.

"Uncomfortable, but necessary," clucked the stowaway. "Given what happened to the other frontier agents, we'd better not mess this up or the Unluckies will get us."

"The marines should never have poked their noses into Baroque Work's business. I guess we'll just have to take care of this ourselves won't we?" said the sultry voice from the doorway of the now-unlocked cargo hold. "Especially now that devil-fruit user marine is off the boat, and so are most of his men."

"Perfect timing, Ms. Thursday."

"I would say so too," Youbi Moko's lips pursed into a smile, "Mr. 11."

* * *

It had been a good hour since the search team departed. Piers was currently perched on the stool in the communications room, diligently giving the den-dens a gentle misting of fresh water from a spritzer, which the little snails seemed to be enjoying.

Scientists have fiercely debated on whether the den den mushis, like their garden variety cousins, do not like salt. There have also been multiple dissertations written on whether they, in the salt-heavy environment, would benefit from fresh water baths once in a while while. What is clear however, is that the den-dens enjoy moisture, and the bottom line is that a misting is generally appreciated by the den-den.

A lesser-known fact about them is that they do like beer, but like their garden variety cousins, don't tend to do well in holding in their liquor*.

So far, the communications monitoring hadn't been eventful. The black wiretap den-den simply stayed asleep and dormant.

Out of boredom than anything, Piers gave the black den-den mushi a little poke. "Hey now, little guy, don't think there's anything much to be tapping into way out here. But if there's anything... you know..."

The black snail opened one eye and regarded the human which had interrupted its nap. It then promptly closed its eye and went back into a half-sleep again.

"It doesn't have to be right something you heard right NOW you know," muttered the marine, misting his wrist and the black den-den in the process. "Even anything you heard earlier today before I started watching you would be good."

One eye opened and regarded the marine again.

"Yes, I would really like to know. _Really!_" insisted the den-den keeper.

The black wiretap snail suddenly stopped sleeping and began to recite what seemed to be a rather out-of-place conversation. "...cafe... can I take your order?"

Piers was astounded. "You mean you heard this before we even got to the island? Just how long distance is your eavesdroppin' range anyway?"*

The telepathic snail ignored him and continued relaying the conversation, which despite the signal interference from the ship having been in the middle of the ocean during the time it had been tapped, was decidedly getting more and more interesting. In response the petty-officer sat up straight and began listening intently to the conversation.

"Mr. 0?" muttered the Shelltown native to himself. "This is—! I need to tell Captain Smoker!"

He was so absorbed in listening he almost didn't notice the shadow which filled the open doorway.

"That's unfortunate."

The startled marine whirled around. In the doorway stood a man dressed in a black coat and a purple frilly shirt and with something that was either leaves or feathers tucked into the band of his top-hat. However, the most arresting feature about him at the moment was the long, naked katana in his hand. The same sword now pointed menacingly in his direction.

Piers swore. The petty-officer's own weapons had been left in the corner by the doorway.

"Yes, very unfortunate indeed," said the intruder, smiling sinisterly. "Now that you've heard that name, it looks like I'm going to have to kill you, boy."

* * *

_**Several minutes ago...**_

* * *

"Lunch, Piers-san," Kuina set down the tray of food next to her friend. "Cook-san made his seafood special today."

"Sheesh, that Mr. Cook, he's still getting you to deliver food to the officers?" Piers looked slightly disapproving on her behalf.

Kuina grinned. "I think he keeps forgetting I got promoted out of Zatsuyo rank." She shrugged. "Besides, since I'm not doing much other than patrol the ship, it's the least I can do to help now that no one else is around. I mean Doctor-san is with that girl Moko, Cook-san's doing inventory on the stores and you've got work here."

After Piers' effusive thanks, she carried on. "Anyways, I should be taking some food for Doctor-san now, so do your best, Piers-san!"

"Don't work too hard, Miss Kuina!"

The blind girl left the communications room and made her way to the sick-bay. Over the course of the weeks she had become familiar with the ship and no longer stumbled around lost.

"Doctor-san!" she called out cheerily as she entered the medical office. "Cook-san made his-"

Her words stopped mid-sentence. A voice in her head was telling her something that her remaining senses had detected.

_Something is wrong._

She knew, instinctively, by how the room lacked presence, that something had happened to Doctor-san. The old doctor almost never left the sick-bay unless someone was hurt. In fact he rarely even took meals with the crew and preferred to stay in his office and quarters. She'd gotten so accustomed to this that it was incomprehensible that she should enter the sick-bay and not have the doctor's cheery greeting of "Oh to what do I owe this pleasure, Kuina-girl?"

The rapping of something against the door. And a muffled voice, slightly familiar. Opening the door of the closet resulted in a trussed-up doctor tumbling out.

"It was Moko!" said the doctor, once she had set him free. "Hit me over the head while I wasn't looking and when I woke up I was in that closet there!"

"Did there seem to be any reason for her to attack you?"

"Not that I could imagine," Doctor-san said, rubbing his head gingerly.

There was the sounds of a drawer being pulled and its contents being searched through. "As I thought, she took it!"

"Took what, Doctor-san?"

"My service revolver. Old school officer-issue six-shooter, a solid piece of work too!"

"Six shots..." Kuina muttered, "Doctor-san, stay here, I'll be right back."

She gripped Koyojaku, encased in the white cane that served as its sheath. He knew what she had in mind, because as she exited the room, she could hear him call after her.

"Be careful, Kuina-kun."

* * *

Mr. 11 always fancied himself as a swordsman of great repute. Moreover, he fancied himself as a highly-efficient frontier agent who got the job done. Sure, the number 11 implied that he wasn't as good as some of those idiots back in Whiskey Peak who got themselves slaughtered, but the numbers were a mere technicality anyway.

He totally wasn't being a coward by hiding when those two crazy pirates had wreaked havoc on the town. Nope, he definitely wasn't hiding when Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine had come to administer punishment either. Not at all. He was being smart. Tactical, as they called it, waiting for the right moment to strike and redeem the pride of the frontier agents. With Miss Thursday as his trusty sidekick, of course.

The situation as it was, was complicated. The mission required recovering the princess-in-hiding alive. At least, until they'd extracted from her how much she knew about the inner workings of Baroque Works and how much of that information had been relayed to outsiders. The problem was that she had gone running off with the same bunch of dangerous pirates who had wrecked the town, and Mr. 11 wasn't sure he wanted to tangle with them head-on just yet.

And then there was the added complication of the marines chasing after the said pirates. If the marines (especially that dangerous devil-fruit captain) were to get hold of the princess, out would come the whole story and Baroque Works would be exposed. He shuddered to think if that were to happen. Based on Miss Thursday's information as a spy aboard the ship, the smoking bastard didn't seem to be the type that could be bought off.

Which made things very difficult, and left them thus with only one recourse: either aid the Straw-Hats in escaping and then recapture them before the marines did, or make sure the marines never left Little Garden. The latter would also give themselves a little bit more breathing space to arrange a welcoming committee for the princess when she finally got to her home country, which was after all, where she was undoubtedly headed to.

At the present the little communication he'd managed to have with his boss was to "take care" of the marines, and let the officer agents handle the Straw-Hats. Other than the smoking captain, this could probably be easily done. However, he'd prefer to avoid a confrontation with the devil-fruit user, which meant that his stealing the marine ship and leaving the crew to starve and die on Little Garden was a genius of an idea.

Four crew on board... this should be a cakewalk. Miss Thursday would take care of the Doctor and the cook, and he could handle the two marines.

_Especially this one! _He thought in contempt as the unarmed marine, the same chatty one from earlier and now scared into silence, tried to back away from his approaching blade. Hopefully the girl would be more of a challenge when the time came. If he read her right she was a swordsman. It would be interesting to see if she were a real one or just a poser who thought waving around a sword made her dangerous.

_**WHAM!**_

Mr. 11's internal monologue was rudely interrupted by a tray of seafood to the face, followed by the impact of the aforementioned tray the seafood had been on, once again, to his face.

"Why you...!" he growled, wiping food out of his eyes and sending squid flying. The indignity being hit by an impromptu weapon of a food tray! He was going to cut that bastard in half for that!

Except that he couldn't find him.

Too late he realized that the marine had taken the opportunity to slide past between his legs and was already on his feet and reaching for his weapons near the doorway. The gun was the first weapon he'd gone for— but his sword Kashu's razor sharp blade neatly sliced the barrel off just as the marine brought it up.

He really loved doing that. The priceless look of shock on the marine's faces when they realized that their guns were doing no good was worth taking a moment to gloat over.

"Now why don't you pick up that cutlass and try using that instead," Mr. 11 taunted, regaining his cockiness. "You might last longer."

Any marine, on hearing that, would have done so, and come rushing at him stupidly to get cut up for his pains. So went Mr. 11's prior experiences.

And so accordingly he was surprised when _this_ marine, instead of reaching for the sword, instead showed a clean pair of heels and darted out of the door without any hesitation. To add insult to injury, the door was slammed shut just as he, Mr. 11, tried to go after the fleet-footed fugitive, and the flashy fencer found his furious fusillade of insults fazed by a forceful application of door to face*.

After another stunned moment, he got back up to his feet, rubbed his sore nose where he'd smacked himself against the wood, and flung the offending door open.

"You... You...!" he was screaming with rage. "Don't make me come over there!"

* * *

Piers was running for his life.

Somewhere at the back of his mind he had the feeling that he should have stood his ground against the intruder, but common sense dictated the information he had obtained through the black den den mushi was more important, and to be able to get that information to Captain Smoker required staying alive.

The former fisherman had a realistic assessment about his own combat capabilities, and he could tell that he had no chance against the swordsman. Not even with a sword. No, the only person who was capable of facing him right now was Kuina. But where was she?

He rounded a corner and pulled up. In front of him was Ms. Youbi Moko, the woman survivor from Whiskey Peak.

"Miss Moko!" the marine warned, distressed. "You need to get away from here, there's a dangerous man on board the ship-" At this point he stopped short, because he was looking down the barrel of a revolver.

The woman smiled. Realization dawned on the petty-officer's face.

"You're... you're..."

"About time you figured that out," drawled she as Mr. 11 appeared, puffing slightly in his hot pursuit. "Mr. 11! Is this the last one?"

The pursuer coloured. "Er... Not quite, Miss Thursday, there's still the other one left... the girl."

"Oh for..." sighed Miss Moko, or rather, 'Miss Thursday'. "Can you for once not have to depend on me carrying the team? Never mind, take care of this one, I'll handle the galley wench."

"You leave Miss Kuina alone!" Piers glared at the woman despite being held at gunpoint. "But if you try anything she'll make mincemeat out of you anyways!"

He was promptly told to shut up by the way of a sword being held against his neck.

"If you don't want your little subordinates to die, I suggest you do what I say," said 'Mr. 11" smugly. "You're going to be hoisting that anchor there and moving your boat—"

"—I'm doing no such thing," declared Piers defiantly. "You're going to kill us all anyway."

There was a pause.

"How did you know that?" demanded Mr. 11. "Did you read my mind?"

"You sorta just told me that earlier," Piers pointed out logically.

There was another pause, in which one could hear the wind blowing.

"You're an idiot," said Miss Thursday sharply to Mr. 11, before stalking off. "But if he won't move the ship, guess we'll move on to Plan B. Get rid of him and move the boat yourself. I'll go look for the girl."

"What are you planning to do with this ship?" Piers demanded.

Mr. 11 smirked ominously as the departing figure of Miss Thursday disappeared from sight. "Oh, I wouldn't be worrying about the _ship_ if I were you..."

* * *

Miss Thursday considered herself an extremely competent woman who had had the misfortune to be coupled with a totally incompetent partner. If she had been male, she probably would have been an officer agent. That was her opinion at least.

But no... she HAD to be partnered with that piece of faff that was Mr. 11, when she should have been at least paired with Mr. 1 or even Mr. 0. The mental image of calling herself "Miss All-Sunday" briefly filled her head. Such power. It was a nice thing to daydream about.

The only warning she had of the sword-bearing woman who was about to take off her hair (or perhaps her head) was the shadow that had intruded into the corner of her eye. Even as she spun around she knew the girl was fast— damn that Mr. 11, he should have warned her about that- but she was almost sure that she was faster.

There was no time to gaze down the sights of the long-barreled revolver and aim. That female marine was too close—

In the split-second before the flashing blade came down, she squeezed the trigger.

The gun fired.

* * *

"...and she doesn't give me any respect!" Mr. 11 was pouring out his frustrations to his captive. "I mean it's so hard to be a master of the sword you know? With all the new-fangled guns nowadays, any stupid pirate can go about pretending they can fight without any kind of real discipline!"

"But isn't your partner's skill set marksmanship?" Piers asked. The incongruous scene of executioner and the to-be-executed discussing the merits of swords versus guns had been started by the petty officer's sympathetic remark of how Miss Thursday must have been a difficult woman to deal with. Mr. 11 had enthusiastically agreed, and in the ensuing conversation, had deferred the impending beheading.

"Marksmans, Schmarksman..." dismissed the swordsman. "It's all point-and-shoot, point-and-shoot. Compared to killing with a blade- where's the skill in that?"

"Well... can't disagree with that, I've always found the cutlass harder to use than the rifle..."

"My point exactly!" exulted Mr. 11. "Say, you're a really good listener. It's kind of a shame to kill you..."

The loud sound of a gunshot interrupted them.

"KUINA!" Piers half stood up in alarm.

"Well, that's that," Mr. 11 said philosophically. "Looks like that harpy Miss Thursday's done her job, so I've got to off you now."

The sword (whose name Mr. 11 had earlier confided to Piers was "Kashu") was raised, and ready to fall.

"Nothing personal, I hope you understand."

"Actually, it is," the voice that interrupted them was familiar, and under the circumstances, extremely welcome. "Just what the _hell_ do you think you are trying to do to my subordinate?"

* * *

The ship's doctor recognized the sound. It was his own gun's report.

As an old man who had sailed the Grand Line, he had developed an uncanny knack for recognizing when a life had passed on, even when he was not exactly physically present.

He prayed that in this case, the life that had been taken had not met its end at the end of his stolen weapon.

* * *

Mr. 11 was paling visibly, the loss of colour probably accentuated by the sight of the row of marines behind the marine officer who had appeared on deck.

"Warrant-Officer Briggs!"

"Good thing I remembered what was it about something that Captain Smoker said that's been bothering me. 'What was Whiskey Peak known for', he was asking..."

The marine officer's rifle was leveled at the swordsman. The other marines followed suit.

"So what's Whiskey Peak known for? A trivial bit of trivia: it has one of the highest bounty head claim-rates in the Grand Line. And why is that?"

"Because it is a town that consists of nothing but bounty-hunters," another voice chimed in.

"Tashigi!"

The other warrant-officer had shown up with her team as well.

"I just remembered that fact halfway through the jungle too. Then I realized that the woman survivor couldn't have been telling the entire truth about what happened in Whiskey Peak. And hurried back here."

"Cripes, did you have to come to steal my thunder?" Briggs whined.

Tashigi ignored her fellow officer. "I'm glad for once your conversational skills saved your life, Piers." Then to the rest of the marines: " All of you stand back, he's mine..."

"Oh no you don't, Tashigi, I got here first!" Briggs protested hotly.

"He's a swordsman, I'll handle him- _Oh my god! Is that the meitou Kashu_? "

"I have him at gunpoint already!"

"...one of the Ryo Wazamono!"

There was a thunk. Both squabbling officers turned to see Mr. 11, who had been distracted by the two new arrivals, now lying in a crumpled heap on the deck.

"_What?_" Petty-Officer Piers said in response to their combined looks of astonishment, rubbing his knuckles where they had made contact with Mr. 11's 'glass jaw'. "I _am_ a marine after all, you know."

* * *

The old doctor used his surgical mirror to peer around the corner, checking that the coast was clear before proceeding into the room.

"Kuina-girl."

She was kneeling composedly in the middle of room, her uniform stained with red.

"My girl..." the doctor said slowly. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," the blind girl replied. "And no." It seemed a little fanciful, but despite the fact that he knew her eyes were sightless they seemed to be trained on the corpse of the woman she had killed.

"Did the bullet hit you?'

"It missed me. Barely." She was trying hard to keep her voice controlled, but he could hear her dazedness. "I'm sorry, Doctor-san, I had no choice but to kill her."

"Laws, Kuina-girl," the old doctor snorted, in partial relief, "A doctor I may be, but I'm not such an idealistic fool that I'd think lowly of you for—"

"No it's not that, Doctor-san." The swordswoman explained. "I tried to take her out before she could shoot. I tried, but something I did* gave me away before I got to her and she got your gun up—"

The doctor gingerly reclaimed his purloined pistol.

"—and got a shot off— "

He knew this was true, but still he checked the chamber, and true enough, there was one empty casing. It was still warm.

"—it missed me, but not through any doing of my own." Her voice echoed the awe with which her brush with death had left her. "I was saved by luck. Just pure luck."

"Never bring a sword to a gunfight," the doctor shrugged philosophically. "Yet you survived and won. That's good right?"

"No," Kuina shook her head. "It is not good enough. I need to become stronger. There must be a way for the sword to overcome the gun." She stood up, shook the blood off her shikomizue, and made her way to the door, her face determined.

"I will never depend on luck to survive again."

* * *

"I'm sorry, I should have done a better job at protecting the boat, sir."

Smoker took a deep puff of his cigar.

"It's my fault as well. I should have known better than to leave only two of you guarding the ship when we had unverified passengers on board."

The captain had been having a word with Piers on the upper deck about the happenings at Runes, which had been the first thing Piers had reported to the captain on his return from Little Garden.

"But given the circumstances you didn't do too badly." Smoker jerked at thumb at Mr. 11, who had been tied to the mast. The prisoner had been a surprisingly tight-lipped source of information. It seemed clear that whoever pulled his strings, it was not the recently deceased Miss Thursday, and it was someone he feared more than Captain Smoker.

Although that didn't stop the cunning captain from extracting more information from him via trickery and bluff.

"Did Tashigi hear of this communication you intercepted yet?"

"Er— not quite, sir. Briggs has heard, which is why he knows which way we ought to be heading, but Miss Tashigi was a little enthusiastic about that sword of Mr. 11's that she retired to her quarters with it so she missed it."

"Typical katana-freak..." grumbled Smoker. "Tashigi... OI TASHIGI!" It was a miracle that the cigar did not go flying, given the volume of the captain's hollering. It was an even bigger miracle that the warrant-officer had not even heard it, or at least did not seem to have given the lack of response. It took some stronger hollering before the bespectacled girl came running out of the cabin, waving around (much to both men's alarm) the unsheathed sword.

After Tashigi had finished tripping on and over (and almost gotten impaled by) her new acquisition, Piers had replayed the vital piece of information the black den-den mushi had intercepted.

In the ensuing discussion, there was much talk of secret organizations, _coup de etats_, and missing princesses, but their original course of action taken was found to be justified.

"Alabasta huh?" Smoker smiled slightly as Piers scuttled off to get Briggs an eternal pose (the petty-officer did owe the navigator one after all). "Let's take a little trip."

* * *

_Everything was the sand, and the sand was everything._

_He stood upon the tallest spire of the city, watching the little leaf-headed pirates below, scurrying around like leaf-cutter ants raiding the nest of the other rival ants._

_Oddly appropriate analogy, for all the significance those little men had. _

_From his vantage point he could tell that the royal guard were still too far away. The 'inconvenient' sand-storm that had sprung up between palace and port-town ensured that the swiftest of them all, the bird-warrior, would not be able to make use of the skies. It would be a good twenty minutes before the camels could get them hence*._

_The shichibukai smiled. _

_Just as planned. All pawns and sacrificial pieces being played in a game they didn't even know they were in, while he sagely waited for the right moment. _

_In amusement he watched the citizens of the Nanoha cower, unaware of their impending doom, as he, the pirate, stood at the bow of the boat looking down at them._

* * *

_**To Be Continued...**_

* * *

***Chapter Footnotes:**

[1] **Slugs, Snails and Beer** = I often wonder, given the propensity for beer traps to work on slug and snails, if the marines ban alcohol from the den-den mushis.

[2] **Black Den-den Mushi's Replayed Conversation **= Supposedly, the black den-den mushis enjoy (and spend most of their time) eavesdropping on other den-den mushi's conversations. They also seem to have an ability to replay whatever conversations they have heard. So I think this is quite a logical progression of events.

[3] **Flash Fencer's Furious Fusillade blah blah blah **= I was obviously in an alliterative mood.

[4] **Shadows Giving Kuina Away** = Keep in mind that Kuina is blind, therefore the idea of her shadow giving her away would not have as easily occurred to her as it would for a normal person.

[5] **Sandstorm between The Royal Palace and Nanoha **= I've often wondered why Pell the Falcon, who can fly between Rainbase and Alubarna in less than a day, couldn't get to Nanoha in time and had to ride a camel there, of all things. So I came up with a logical explanation for it.

* * *

_**Which of you thought that the officer showing up to save the day would be Tashigi or Smoker? C'mon, be honest! ;) Briggs is an ass, but unfortunately he's also a smart ass. I never did like one-dimensional characters, even if they are esssentially background ones.**_

_**I threw away a lot of my previous version of this chapter, mainly because I was getting too carried away at Little Garden and I realized that a lot of the action was unnecessary and didn't add anything to the plot. **_

_**So I cut and rewrote a lot of it, and reduced the Little Garden involvement to a single chapter (you do not want to know how long it got before). The only part I regret I had to cut out was the epic fight between Tashigi and Mr. 11, but since Zoro had single-handedly defeated a whole bunch of frontier agents, I thought it was rather dissonant to have Mr. 11 anything more dangerous than a slightly incompetent opponent.**_

_**Overall I'm a bit more happier with this version of the chapter, it moves the story along a lot more, and I'm quite pleased we'll be starting the Alabasta arc which I've been looking forward to for quite a while!**_

_**As usual, reviews and feedback make my day, so go ahead!**_

_**Now for our scheduled Q and A:**_

* * *

_**Aoihand: **__I like how you handle Tashigi too. It's a pretty big slap to her world view and she's dealing with in the way you can reasonably expect an adult female to. She's trying to supress resentment and look at things logically but the heart is illogical and fickle. (ah, woe) _

**A: I based how Tashigi reacts like how I probably would. (LOL what does that say about me?) It will be interesting to further develop her and Kuina's uneasy relationship.**

* * *

_**Sorakage Sama: **I'd also like to mention that you came up with some well rounded OC's, well done._

**A: I'm glad you approve of my take on the characters, although in all fairness I should admit that the only OCs so far are Navigator Briggs and Doctor-san... and Kitty the Pirate Sue *shudder*. (And I suppose Zaito/Ichii). Kuina is technically a canon character, and Piers is as well. Ok, Piers is an ascended unnamed extra... so he kind of straddles the line. He does get a speaking part or two in the anime though. I just hope I can do them justice here.**

* * *

_**Sorakage Sama:** P.S. I looked it up (just in case), and in the One piece version of the marines, you can't choose to wear your own clothes until you achieve the rank of Petty officer._

**A: Ah dang, Kuina's got a loooong way to go for her kimono, doesn't she?**

* * *

_**Xoroth: **With the destruction of Whiskey Peak the Alabasta arc begins. The straw hats took a while to get there so I wonder what manner of adventures Kuina will face along the way?_

**A: ****Yes I have plans for the Alabasta arc, but it will be a fun journey. I plan to expand on some stuff that got mentioned in passing :D ****I plan to keep the story moving at a brisk pace, but I don't mind mentioning that my preference will be more on the events that happen off-screen in the original canon, such as this chapter's 'capture of Mr. 11'.**

* * *

_**eternitybeckons: **0.o Now Kuina's vision of Luffy is going to be even more warped. And what does she think of Zoro now? _

**A: And now you know. AHOOHOOHOOHAHAHAHAAA!**

* * *

_**Gree: **Nothing much to say about this chapter...it feels similar to filler moments, but I do look forward to more Kuina and Tashigi interaction._

**A: Thank you. So. Much! I need this kind of feedback. I have a fear of making the story drag. If you hadn't mentioned this, I might have gotten carried away with the Little Garden arc and had it drag on and on for the sake of writing cool fight scenes. This comment woke me up, so thanks! (Sorry about Tashigi having to miss her fight scene, but she'll have other opportunities, I guess)**

* * *

_**QPython: **I loved how you had Kuina come across the lesser-known One Piece characters or at least mentioned them inpassing rather than making everyone she came across OCs._

**A: ****I have a weakness for minor characters, I have to admit. They need more love and development, so try to give it to them when I can****.**** I tend to keep the references subtle though, but it warms the cockles of my heart when people who read my fics notice the little details anyway3**

* * *

_**Anzer'ke:** Of course saying that One Piece does adhere to nature in the area of strength distribution in human males and females is awesome and all; But really it's sorta like saying one supernova is bigger then another. They're all chucking mountains around eventually._

**A: Well, different supernovas are strong in different ways. Urouge wouldn't fight the same way as say... Bonnie/Capone, after all. And that's the point that Kuina had to understand. She cannot be a Zoro clone if she ever hopes to succeed.**

* * *

**Until next chapter!**


	9. An Incendiary Exponent

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will.**

**Chapter 9: An Incendiary Exponent**

* * *

_As long as she did, and so would he._

_The lonely king waited upon the throne, a sea of calm amidst the turmoil that was threatening to engulf the desert kingdom and overrun it. Lesser men than he would have fled perhaps, with those loyal to him and all the treasures of the city._

_But not this king. This king did all he could to hold things together as he waited for the return of his greatest treasure: His future, and his only child._

"_Vivi..." _

_She'd left in search of an answer. She had had faith that she'd be able to to find it._

_And as long as she had faith, so would he._

* * *

_**Several Days Ago...**_

* * *

As much as she liked Officer Piers, Tashigi had to admit that he was utterly hopeless at combat.

In practice he appeared to do all right. But the moment it came to a real duel, he performed like Kuina in the water: his moves became uncoordinated, his aim embarrassingly off, his mind frozen on what to do.

It couldn't be cowardice, Tashigi decided. On their adventures on the Grand Line, he seemed to do pretty well against most dangers. Indeed, that man would jump into a sea-king filled ocean without hesitating if someone fell overboard.

No, it was something else, and it was driving Tashigi nuts trying to figure out what it was.

It didn't help that that _girl_ would often come and watch the training sessions. Well, _listen_ to the training sessions. Or whatever sense it was that she used to get around.

Tashigi was always on edge whenever Kuina was around. It wasn't that she actively disliked the girl, but her very presence acted as a reminder of Roronoa's harsh words. No one likes being compared to another person. And to add insult to injury this was inevitable because the both of them looked so much alike.

"No! No! NO!" Tashigi groaned in consternation as Piers executed another half-hearted attack.

The marine hung his head dejectedly. Since his promotion he had augmented his standard marine uniform with a padded navy blue vest that Kuina had sewn for him. (Tashigi had heard that Kuina had threatened to throw Piers overboard for attempting to pay her for rendering the service.)

Perhaps the vest was an attempt to make himself look more imposing. Tashigi had to admit he needed it, because the otherwise unremarkable-looking marine with the perpetual wide grin was the most unthreatening-looking person she had ever seen. He didn't look capable of cutting down a pirate in cold-blood. Or _anyone_ for that matter.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd have said that you were aiming to miss!" she snapped as the marine fumbled and nearly dropped his cutlass.

Suddenly, she realized that the officer-in-training had never ever managed to score a hit on her in a duel for a reason, and she had inadvertently said it out loud.

"...You aren't, are you?" she followed up slowly, glaring at her student.

The thing about Piers was that he was incredibly easy to read. His ears immediately turned red. "Umm..."

"You've been holding back on me all this while?" Tashigi confronted him, furious. "Is it because I'm your superior officer?"

"N- No Ma'am!" stammered the miserable officer-in-training. "It's not anything like that!"

"Then what is it? Why can't you fight me seriously?" Tashigi gritted her teeth. She couldn't help thinking that once again her gender had come into play. "Don't tell me you're one of those types who can't hit a woman!"

"No Sir! Ma'am! Sir!"

This triggered a response from the onlooker. "I don't think that's Piers-san's problem, Tashigi-san..."

Tashigi whirled around and glared at Kuina. "Fine. Why don't you fight him instead, Seaman?"

"Um... I'm not sure if it's a good idea—"

"—you're supposed to be some great swordsman, aren't you?" Tashigi gritted her teeth. "Well let's all see firsthand what's so special about you!"

"I never— "

"I said fight!" Tashigi snapped.

"All right," Kuina conceded and picked up one of the practice shinai. "Piers-san, please use this instead."

Piers swapped his cutlass for the wooden practice sword and began the duel. Tashigi's eyes widened. It was as though a different person was fighting. Piers was no longer hesitating in his movements, and was even counterattacking even though not one of the attacks was actually successful. Eventually he still lost, but it was an actually passable effort.

"Your problem was the _weapon_?"

"Well, it's like fine with a wooden practice sword or blanks..." Piers tried to explain after the match ended, embarrassed. "...but when it's a real sharp sword and live bullets, you could like, instantly kill someone without trying at all you know?"

"That," Tashigi tried to emphasize, "is the point, Piers. Our opponents will be bloodthirsty pirates who are busy terrorizing innocent people, we cannot afford to hold back!"

Piers looked ashamed. "I know. I thought I could do it if I really had to, but like I found out in Shelltown, I've just got a block and even if they are evil pirates, they are still people and..." he trailed off miserably. "I'm not much good at fighting..." he repeated at last. For the hundredth time, it seemed.

It was at that moment that Tashigi realized, much to her consternation, that the man was a closet pacifist. Or something similar in nature. She resisted the urge to groan. Yes, the problem here was that man was just too plain _nice_ to be a good fighter because he was scared of actually killing someone. What was she supposed to do with him?

"Then maybe you should try something that suits you better."

Tashigi jumped as Smoker materialized from seemingly nowhere.

"S-smoker Captain sir!" stammered Piers again.

"If you've got problems with using weapons, Petty-Officer, how about using your fists?"

"Uh... F-fists, sir?"

Smoker towered over the three of them, the lazy wisps of smoke that curled around his demesne giving him an aura of menace. "Fists, Petty Officer Piers. Those things at the end of your arms." The marine captain extracted the stub of his cigar from his mouth, lit a new one with the end of the old, and exhaled. "Punch me."

"S... Sir!"

"I SAID PUNCH ME!" roared the captain, "And if you hold back, I'll make sure a keelhauling's* included as part of your officership initiation!"

"Captain Smoker!" objected Tashigi, horrified.

"C'MON! SHOW ME SOME OF WHAT YOU DID IN RUNES!"

Her protest was cut short by the thud of tanned knuckles against pale chin.

Smoker staggered back, holding his jaw. His newly-lit cigar clattered onto the deck.

Petty-Officer Piers was standing, his arm extended, his stunned face totally at odds with his stance.

The superior officer grinned. "Now THAT'S what I'm talking about. Sparring Time! Let's go!"

"Oh shi—" slipped the young marine before he caught himself. "Sorry Miss KuinaaAA- AUGH!" Smoker had planted his fist in and sent the officer-in-training flying backwards.

"Keep focused!" reminded Smoker. "Don't worry, I won't be using my devil fruit power!"

Tashigi sweatdropped. Her normally serious captain was enjoying himself a _bit_ too much. The terrified petty officer was currently desperately dodging the captain's blows. At least he was actually trying to fight back. Not that he had a choice.

"I didn't know officership training was this complicated," commented Kuina flatly.

"Under Captain Smoker? You don't want to know even half of what I went through," Tashigi replied glumly as Piers was sent flying across the deck for the second time.

* * *

"_Skills?" queried the officer Smoker had foisted her off on with vague instructions to find her a role on the crew. The sour man, who sounded harassed enough, seemed even more displeased. But he proceeded to "process" her anyway._

"_Uh... Swordsmanship... and kimono-making."_

_He gave a snort, and she could hear some scribbling of pen on paper._

"_Ship's tailor, then," he grunted. "At least we'll have an easier time of it with the uniforms."_

"_Uh..."_

"_You can sew uniforms right?"_

"_I've never tried, but—"_

_"Well, what can you make then?"_

"_Kimonos?"_

"_Besides kimonos."_

"_Uh... yukatas."_

_There was a silence where the officer tried to figure out if she had been joking._

"_Can you sew anything that isn't a kimono?"_

"_Well... I..."_

_There was a pause._

"_No. Sorry," she admitted, her face flushed._

"_Never mind," snapped the officer, before turning back to his navigation charts. "Zatsuyo it is, then."_

* * *

Kuina sat in the corner, sadly holding at the remains of the vest she'd sewn for Piers. The delicate and almost invisible stitches, meant for fine clothing, had proved impractical for that specimen of combat gear, and had fallen apart embarrassingly quickly. Granted, the pounding Smoker had been dishing out had been really something, but still...

The Doctor had not been amused.

"Do you think that I've nothing to do but to patch-up stupid marines day in and day out?" he grumbled. His prodding of his patient's battered physique was punctuated by said patient's little exclamations of pain.

"Laws! It's not as if (_Ow!_) trying to make sure that you foolish (_Ouch!_) lot don't go down with scurvy and dysentery isn't (_Ow ow ow!_) work enough?"

"It's ok doctor, really. Well, Captain Smoker said — _Yeowch_! — I mean he was saying that everyone starts off — _Ouch! — w_eak in the beginning but it's best to build yourself up combat-wise and not depend on special powers, so that if something happens — _Doctor, that really really hurts! —_ you aren't useless without your devil fruit powers."

"Which you don't have, you young fool! Laws, since when did that idiot Smoker start taking a leaf out of Vice-Admiral Garp's books?"

Kuina didn't know who Garp was, but if he was anything like Smoker, she really couldn't imagine how much crazier his training could have been. She sighed. She was going to have to go over the vest again. Possibly with stronger and thicker thread this time.

Right at his moment, the doors to the sick-bay opened, and she knew from the scent of smoke, Captain Smoker had entered.

"Oh come on, Francis." For a moment Kuina wondered who this was meant to address, but then realized with a jolt that Doctor-san obviously had a name beyond his title. "You know well enough that my little trainings don't hold a candle to Garp's."

"Little trainings? Two broken ribs, Smoker. TWO BROKEN RIBS! And the boy had just barely finished recovering from a previous injur—"

"Doctor, sir, I'm not—" Piers attempted to protest at being made to sound like a fragile invalid.

"YOU. PATIENT. YOU. SHUT. UP. So just sit still or I'll tape your mouth shut!"

"Aren't you overreacting a little, Francis?" Smoker interjected mildly as Piers cowered before the doctor's onslaught.

"Laws, Smoker! Unlike some of the _other_ freaks currently on this boat, the boy does not have a devil-fruit ability!" growled the doctor, ignoring his patient, who cringed in tandem with the captain. "You overpowered monsters need to learn not everyone is capable of inhuman feats."

"We're in the Grand Line now, Francis. You of all people should know we can't afford to hold back, because this ocean is overrun with monsters like us."

"One thing I never missed about the Grand Line," Doctor-san conceded. But he stopped yelling at Smoker after that.

Captain Smoker was rummaging in his jacket for something during the yelled conversation. She knew from the squeaking sound it was made of leather, with metal studs.

"Knuckle-duster gloves?" the old doctor noted, still grumbling. "Where'd you get those?"

"Scored them off Briggs. They were supposed to be a promotion gift for some knucklehead lieutenant friend of his back in East Blue. Said he wouldn't need them anymore since the fool got himself demoted to seaman over some guy in a dancing contest."*

"That Briggs still has _friends_?"

Kuina wondered if the conversation sounded as bizarre to everyone else as it did to her.

"Anyway, since our new petty-officer here can throw a pretty mean punch. Figured he could use them." With that he casually tossed the gloves to Piers, who was struck speechless with awe and didn't manage to thank Smoker before the captain made his wordless exit. When he finally regained control over his powers of speech, you could practically hear the air sparkle.

"These—" Kuina could hear the squeak of leather as he tried them on. They must have been a snug fit. " —are so cool!"

"The black gloves will go very well with navy blue, Piers-san."

There was a stunned pause.

"Kuina-girl, how could you have possibly known they were black?"

She smiled enigmatically. "It's a trade secret, Doctor-san."

* * *

_"What colour and weave is this one?" Ichii-san asked, holding up a swathe of cloth. _

_Kuina took several deep breaths before deciding on an answer. _

_"Purple muslin."_

_"Close. It is pink. This one?"_

_"Yellow silk."_

_"You're completely off. It is black. And it is not silk. It is satin."_

_"Isn't satin technically silk?" mumbled Kuina to herself._

_Kimono-maker and apprentice were standing in the drying-yard where yards and yards of freshly dyed fabric (mostly silk and muslin) were flapping in the wind as they dried. Kuina always liked standing out here on a windy day; the sound of the flapping cloth made it easy to imagine she was traveling on a ship en-route to catching up with Zoro and becoming the greatest swordsman in the world._

_"No! No! NO! Blue silk brocade. with silver threading." Ichii-san was exasperated at her lack of progress. It had become part of her training that she spent every afternoon standing out in the hot drying yard trying to identify the fabrics that were hung out on the poles without touching them. _

_How exactly she was supposed to do this was unclear. But Ichii-san insisted it was doable. And when Ichii-san insisted it was doable, it was... or else._

"_Grey embossed silk."_

"_Finally," breathed Ichii-san in some sort of shrewish relief. "You aren't hopeless after all."_

_And then she picked up another length of cloth. "And this one?"_

_Kuina groaned._

* * *

"Ship ahoy!" the lookout yelled.

"Another one," Tashigi observed from the bridge. "We must be getting close to Alabasta."

"No question about it. _We are,_" Briggs replied pointedly, sounding a little insulted. The navigator pulled out a spyglass and gazed intently though it, fidgeting all the while. "Another half-day and we'll make it to Nanoha, wind conditions prevailing. And _they will_. Dry wind around these parts always blows from southwest to northeast this time of the year."

"How would you know that?" Tashigi asked her fellow warrant-officer.

"It's not the first time I've sailed this part of the Grand Line," Briggs replied rather condescendingly, still rocking to and fro as he peered through his spyglass. "Unlike you sheltered greenhorns of the East Blue, I actually used to be based in Marine HQ, I'll have you know."

Tashigi frowned. "Wait— if you used to be stationed at HQ, how did you even end up in East Blue?"

"The question you should be asking, Tashigi, is who did Briggs piss off enough to get him sent to the backwater streets of Loguetown and put under my troublesome command?"

You almost could see Briggs' face turn a shade paler at hearing Smoker's interjection. But the presence of the captain was quite effective. Briggs promptly shut up and continued peering through the spyglass as though it was the most interesting thing in the world. Tashigi could have sworn she heard a stifled laugh coming from the helmsman.

Smoker was trotting out his plans for searching for Straw-Hat the moment they set foot on Nanoha when a hrrmphing sound from Briggs attracted their attention again.

"What is it now, Briggs?" Captain Smoker sounded irritated this time.

"It's ah... strange. It's been a few years, but I don't recall there being that many ships of the same company in this area."

"What company?"

Briggs put the spyglass down and pointed at a fleet of large galleons, all seemingly headed in the same direction as they were. On the large white sails of the ships, a purple and white insignia could be seen.

"They must be recent. I don't think I've heard of that company very much, much less what they do."

Tashigi was squinting and trying to get a better look at the insignia. She hadn't the spyglass so it was harder going for her.

"B-A-R-O-Q-U-E Works," she read out. "I wonder what they do?"

* * *

If Kuina had to describe the Alabastan port town of Nanoha with a single word, it would have been "smelly". It was not exactly a put-down, although it could not be denied that walking in the streets of Nanoha meant smelling a lot of things, such as: roasting meat, onions and spice, perfume, sweat and the salt of the sand and the sea.

"I'm positively melting," she confided to Piers, whom she was annoyed to notice that, being a true-born shore-dweller, was comfortably adapted to the heat and scorching sun.

Kuina, on the other hand, who had grown up in the softer climate of the more inland village, did not fare as well. The marines had been issued a loose linen cover in addition to their normal uniform to cope with the sun, but even that didn't seem enough. She missed having her parasol.

Five days they had been in town, looking for a sign that the Straw-Hats had docked. Warrant-Officer Briggs had once again claimed that they had made the journey from Little Garden to Nanoha 'in record time' (It was such an oft-used phrase by the navigator that honestly it was getting to be a bit off-putting by now). At first they had feared a repeat of Little Garden, but Smoker had seemed content to stay in harbour at Nanoha after hearing of several pirate attacks that had occurred there recently. The captain might be single-minded about pursuing the Straw-Hats, but if the presence of the marines afforded the town better protection, he was happy to provide it.

Nanoha could also be described as "noisy". Certainly a lot noiser that the other towns she had been in (namely Shelltown). Still her technique of listening in a crowd was working a lot better with practice. It was really a means of filtering the layers of sound, and picking out key tones of what she wanted to hear.

Still, it surprised her when out of the hubbub of the hundreds of conversations, the phrase "Monkey D. Luffy" came leaping out.

The voice that uttered it was unctuous, but puzzled, as if someone had asked him a question he couldn't answer. Another voice, that of the questioner floated into her hearing:

"...there is a chance he might be in this town; I've been looking for him for a while now." This second voice sounded younger but still quite mature. It was politely spoken with an easy-going kind of confidence.

The first voice was answering in the negative, suggesting that the querier try a local eatery for more information. She could barely take in all of it, her heart was pounding so hard she could barely hear it and the conversation and nothing else. Someone else was after Straw-Hat! Was he a potential ally or rival? It didn't really matter at this stage, but if the man had been searching for that dastardly pirate, it would be of advantage to her to find out how far along in his search he'd gotten. At the very least, finding Straw-Hat would be one step closer to finding Zoro and her _Wadou Ichimonji_.

He didn't speak in the manner of a marine or local law enforcement officer. He might have been a bounty hunter, she couldn't be sure, but in any case, it was best not to parade around in her marine uniform; it tended to have the unwanted effect of shutting up peoples' mouths on sight.

"Piers-san, sorry, but I'm going to have to borrow this!" Without a further word, she snatched Piers' linen cover and disappeared into the crowd after the mysterious man.

* * *

Zoro gazed after the broad-shouldered back of pirate as he disappeared into the crowd. Behind him he could hear the others speculating about the man's identity, but he, Zoro, had known that man was a pirate at the first glance. All because of that mark on his back.

That mark that no pirate hunter ever forgot...

* * *

_He was full. _

_After days of starvation Zoro was finally full, and content, if for a little while. That pirate he had turned in to the marine outpost had yielded a surprisingly lucrative income for his first bounty, and with it a revelation on how he was going to be able to support himself in the future: As a bounty-hunter._

_As he strolled out of the restaurant, the sounds of another commotion greeted him from the street. A group of marines, led by a marine officer (not the same ginger-haired poofy one as before though, he noted), were facing off against another group of pirates, which looked to have been produced from the same mold as the earlier batch he had defeated._

"_You honestly think you can lay a hand on us?" challenged the foremost pirate, baring his shirtfront to reveal a mark composed of crossed bones and a white-mustached, skeletal face. "Do you know what this mark means?"_

_The marine officer certainly did, for he took a step back. _

_"Since when did Whitebeard expand his operations into this part of the ocean?", he demanded. Turning to his subordinates, the officer barked: "And where the hell did that captain of ours go? We need him here now!"_

"_Ah, so you know what you are in for," gloated the pirate, "Too bad, now just run away like good little marines and..." At this point, he had trailed off, because the marine officer's body was turning brown and elongated and was transforming into something that resembled a six-limbed eldritch horror or a tall tree demon. _

"_Oh no! The lieutenant-commander's using his devil-fruit!" The other marines seemed to be freaked out by it as well. "Get clear!"_

"_Well, since you are a Whitebeard pirate, I guess we can't afford to hold back, can we?" the officer-tree-stick thing grouse,. "Well let's see what you've got, pirate."_

_The 'Whitebeard pirate' was visibly paling. _

_"W-what in the blazes are you?"_

_He got his response, but it was in the form of the transformed devil-fruit abomination shambling over in a horrifyingly fast movement and 'touching' the pirate in the face. The pirate dropped to his knees, screaming and clutching his face in pain._

_It was Zoro's first witnessing of a devil-fruit in action, and while he was rarely startled this certainly gave him a shock._

"_Now that's unusual. Is that a zoan-type transformation or a paramecia?" _

_The voice, coming from rooftop behind him, unlike the other voices, sounded only mildly interested. __The fight paused as every head turned towards the newcomer, who was clad in blue and sported twin swords on the belt slung upon his waist (the main point of interest to Zoro). There were murmurs of fear and astonishment._

_The marine officer's eyes narrowed. "You! I recognize you... you're... you're one of the Whitebeard pirates'... as in... one of the division commanders!*"_

"_Right on the money!" The man spoke with an easy grin, as the wind ruffled his dirty blond hair and the bandanna he wore around his neck. "For your information, that scum isn't a member of any division of the Whitebeard pirates. And since we can't let this fake imposter run around dragging the meaning of our mark through the mud I've just happened to drop by to take care of them." _

_The pirate was whimpering now. Zoro didn't think it was from the pain this time._

"_You can take care of him — as in: **after** we take both of you into custody," the grotesquely-transformed marine officer replied curtly._

_The real Whitebeard pirate sighed. "Well it's such a bother, but we really can't have it be said that the Whitebeard pirates were taken in by marines so easily, either. Looks like we're going to have to engage in battle."_

_Looking back, it was an understatement. The resulting battle was a curb-stomp, courtesy of the Whitebeard pirate (whom he would later discover had a bounty that made his previous catch look like spare change). The poofy ginger-headed captain who had been looking for a new sword would later find his battered devil-fruit officer lying atop a defeated heap of his marines, mixed with an odd pirate here and there. _

_Zoro would have very much have liked to challenge the swordsman pirate to a fight there and then, but opting to fight someone just after they had just taken out an entire marine platoon, pirate crew, and a devil-fruit user seemed like rather cheap timing. So instead he watched the man walk away, memorizing every detail so that he would recognize the man should they ever cross paths again. _

_He was never to know that he would never get the chance again, but he did learn to appreciate on that day, how far a Whitebeard pirate would go for the pride of that mark._

* * *

As Zoro pondered why a Whitebeard pirate would be looking for Luffy, his eye fell on a figure that seemed familiar.

_It couldn't be._

It was. The female marine who had accosted him back in Loguetown. The same one who had looked so much like Kuina.

_Damnit. Whenever I run into her bad things happen._

As he ducked behind a giant urn to avoid detection, he couldn't help but notice another person behind where the marine-officer stood. His jaw fell open.

It was Kuina.

There was no doubt about it. She wasn't aware of his presence just yet, for which he was profoundly grateful, as he could see very clearly now that she was wearing a marine uniform. The very thought of Kuina as a marine disturbed him, because he knew she wasn't the type to care about justice and world order, so it was rather obvious what was the one and only reason she could have possibly joined them for.

Even as he watched, he saw her grab something from another marine near her and hurry after someone in the crowd.

His brow furrowed with worry. She'd gone in the same direction as the Whitebeard pirate.

_Damnit! Don't get involved with him, Kuina!_ he thought inwardly, despite knowing Kuina couldn't have possibly heard him. _You don't know what you're in for._

* * *

Smoker grumbled to himself as he watched Tashigi scurrying to get the pirates handed over to the local guards.

The royal guards must have been too hard-pressed to keep the rumbling rebellion in check to spare any attention for the pirates. That had to be the explanation for it. There was simply no other way such unskilled pirates could have been allowed to roam free otherwise.

Piers, looking a bit lost, was helping Tashigi with the pirates, absent-mindedly apologizing as he punched one who tried to escape in the face with his shiny new knuckle-duster gloves. The girl who was always with him, Kuina, was nowhere to be seen. Idly, Smoker wondered where she had gone, then shrugged and went about his business. Despite her handicap the girl was quite capable of looking after herself, and if his evaluation of her was correct, she was currently the third most powerful fighter aboard his ship.

Her background check had proved most interesting. Daughter of a deceptively unassuming dojo-master in an East Blue village. The wife of the dojo-master had been from a well-known and honoured family. And as was expected of such a clan, they had connections with certain people in high-places.

And then there was the other interesting discovery: the girl had been apprenticed to a blind kimono-maker around whom certain rumours swirled. Smoker was no fool, he'd heard stories about that village. It was the kind of place famous and infamous people went to retire and live out the remainder of their lives in peaceful obscurity. Nothing particularly attention-worthy from the marines point of view, until you take a couple of peculiar incidents in account.

There had been a case many years ago where a marine who would later be known as Don Krieg had mutinied, turned pirate, and murdered the captain of his ship.* The disaster had happened off Shimotsuki, but when the marine reinforcements had hurried to the settlement, sure that the pirate would have ravaged the little hamlet, they had found it instead relatively unscathed save for one casualty. The villagers had explained that the pirates hadn't seemed very interested in raiding the place, and had backed off once they'd shown some stout resistance.

Rumours in the port towns spoke differently. They whispered that Don Krieg actually had tried to raze the village to the ground for the hell of it, but after their killing of a defenseless old man who had been fishing off the pier, a swordsman had appeared and in a rage, had decimated the pirates who had been responsible. Some rumours insisted that there had actually been two different swordsmen, but the thing that remained consistent in all the tellings was that Don Krieg's crew of over a hundred men had been driven off by at most, a pair of blade-wielding defenders.

Coincidentally, news that Don Krieg was aggressively swelling the ranks of his crew until it numbered in the thousands came frequently after that.

It had been very obvious to him that not everyone in that village were who they said they were. But it was outside of his jurisdiction and since they lay low and kept the peace, so he was content to leave them alone. The girl, however...

From Smoker's point of view, Kuina was someone worth keeping an eye on. The Pirate Hunter Zoro had been trained in the same dojo she was, and factor in her connection to the man, he did not intend for anyone else who could be so potentially dangerous end up as another pirate.

And just as he was thinking all this, he saw a glimpse of someone familiar.

He stopped and frowned.

Yes, that was definitely her slipping into the entrance of that building, but what was she up to?

* * *

A little bit of creative rearranging (she had been trained as a kimono-maker after all) turned two linen cloaks into a respectable desert robe, complete with headdress. If one didn't look too closely, she could just about pass as a local.

Or so Kuina hoped as she sidled into the doorway and attempted to meld into the background of people.

The man who was looking for Straw-Hat had taken a seat in a restaurant a passerby had kindly informed her was called the "Spice Bean". The pleasant smells of delicious food wafting about spoke well for the skills of the cook, whom the mysterious man was chatting with.

Like all good conversationalists, the mysterious man did not rush to the point at once. He started off by talking about the weather (It hadn't rained for years), moved on to the deliciousness of the food (naturally this pleased the cook) and finally on to the people of the town, and then finally to the people who had visited the town. He had a way with people, and soon the proprietor of the place was talking about all and sundry as if they were the best of friends.

When he started talking about looking for a pirate named Straw Hat Luffy, she told herself to keep calm and listen intently. She still had no idea what this man wanted with Straw-Hat Luffy, but what he was doing was pretty much asking all the questions she would have asked herself had she thought of it.

Unfortunately, fate had a way of interfering with her wants.

For example, the man suddenly dropped dead.

She knew he had dropped dead because of the shocked silence of all present in the room. She was good at reading silence, and the silence that came mid-sentence and the squish of face meeting plate of food was one of horror. Then one by one, voices were heard. Barely murmurs at first, then fearful exclamations and intrigued theorizing.

Over the talk of desert strawberries she couldn't help feeling a little fearful herself. The apparently healthy young man had been after Straw-Hat Luffy and suddenly he had dropped dead in the middle of asking questions about him. It was too much for coincidence. Had his food been poisoned? Was it some sort of deadly devil-fruit power? Was _**that**_ the mysterious Straw-Hat's special ability that made people obey him?

"_Ahoohahahaa! With my heart-attack devil-fruit I can make anyone drop dead suddenly! All I need is a name, and they are doomed!"_

_Straw-Hat waved around a black notebook with spindly handwriting and gloated.*_

"_Remember crew, I have in here the names of your families and friends recorded in here! Disobey my orders, and they will die! For a God am I!_

_His crew hung their heads and obeyed. They had no other choice._

As she pondered this as a possibility, there was another squelching sound.

The man had come back to life.

Well that certainly ruled it out, she thought in annoyance as the man nonchalantly went back to eating, much to the consternation of the crowd, who began to disperse in disgust. He'd just fallen asleep mid-sentence. In the middle of eating and talking. _Somehow_.

It gave her an idea on how to start a conversation with him though.

"Are you sure you're all right sir?" she asked as she sidled up to the man at the bar. "Maybe you should see a doctor about your condition."

"Oh don't worry about it, Miss. I'm used to it, it runs in the family," the man replied pleasantly enough, before turning back to the proprietor of the restaurant again.

"By the way, I'm looking for a man... " he began, and she could hear the rustle of a wanted poster being laid on the counter.

"Straw-Hat Luffy," she said casually, pretending to glance at it. "That's a familiar name."

As expected, it caught the mysterious man's attention immediately. "Oh! Have you seen him around?"

"I came across that name while searching for someone else," she explained, choosing to end her statement in such a way that it both avoided answering the question directly and yet did not sound rude. "The man I'm looking for is known in the East Blue as the Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro. I don't suppose you have heard any news of him?"

"Can't say I have," the man replied. The expectant silence at the end of it gave her the opportunity to bait the conversation with more information.

"He was reputed to have joined the crew of one Straw-Hat Luffy."

The man was sharp, he got the point immediately. "I see our meeting here wasn't by chance."

Kuina smiled enigmatically. She had to play this right.

* * *

_**Ten Minutes Later...**_

* * *

The proprietor of the Spice Bean was somewhat in a daze as he served food to the strange boy at the bar.

Ten minutes ago, the strange customer intermittently fell asleep in his food had been talking to that girl, and though the restauranteur tried to be tactful and didn't attempt to eavesdrop, he couldn't help but hear the occasional word, like "brother" and "Straw-Hat" in tones most earnest.

All that came to an end when a large, hulking figure of a marine appeared at the threshold of the door. He was obviously a marine-officer by his dress and menacing aura. Marines were not a common sight in Alabasta, due to the fact that the desert country operated autonomously from the world government and maintained their own law enforcement in the form of the royal guards. But what with all the drama with the rebellion, he supposed it was not that surprising after all that the world government would send some help in the form of marines.

And it was what this marine had said that had sent him, and everyone in the eatery into a panic.

"You have some nerve eating out in public... commander of Whitebeard Pirates 2nd Division... Portgas D. Ace."

Yes, five minutes ago, the marine-officer had stood framed in the doorway staring down his customer whom he had newly-discovered to be the second division commander of the infamous Whitebeard pirates. He had been most terrified; they were both in his restaurant, or soon to be if they fought: what was left of it.

"Why are you here, in this part of the Grand Line?"

'Portgas D. Ace' answered calmly: "I'm on a search for my little brother."

"Girl, get away from that pirate," the marine-officer commanded. The wisps of smoke curling around his great bulk were thickening menacingly.

"B... but..." began the girl who had been chatting to his customer.

"You'd better do as he says, Miss," the infamous Fire-Fist Ace said casually. "It's for the best- things are going to get ugly soon."

The girl seemed reluctant to obey and the restauranteur wondered why. If it were him, he'd run for safety right there and then. But right before she could comply, there was a high-pitched yodel of joy and something shot through the doorway at blinding speed.

The girl managed to dive out of the way, narrowing avoiding the flying projectile that was the hit marine-officer. Fire-Fist Ace, being seated at the bar and caught off-guard, was not so lucky, and with a splintering crash of stone and wood, the Spice Bean and the houses behind it gained new exits.

The newcomer, despite everyone's attempts to make him understand the gravity of the situation, seemed absolutely unaware that he had just sent an infamous pirate and a high-ranking marine flying through the walls. In fact, he was busy stuffing his face and praising the food.

"Are you out of your mind?" came the angry voice of the girl, who was gingerly rubbering her temple where it had hit a table. "What have you done?"

"Huh? What happened?"

"That's what I asked you!" She snapped, fumbling around for her white cane. "Where have they gone?"

"Where's who gone?"

"Are you playing dumb?"

"Huh?"

"It's hopeless miss," the restaurant owner told her. "He's oblivious to what's going on. Are you all right?"

"Yes. Who is that madman anyway?"

"No idea, but he had better be getting out of here before those two wake up."

She continued rubbing her temple, but he got the impression it was because the newcomer had given her a headache.

"This isn't just madness, " She grumbled. "This. Is—"

And then she never finished her sentence as all hell broke loose.

The next few moments were total chaos. The Whitebeard pirate made his appearance, for all of two seconds before an enraged marine charged in and trampled over him. The girl had located her cane and had risen to her feet, just as the marine-officer bellowed in a voice that shook the building:

"STRAW-HAT!"*

"Where?" The girl was now brandishing a wicked-looking blade that had previously been hidden in her cane.

There was a ringing silence, broken only by the sound of high-speed eating. And then the air was graced with a fine splattering of food as the boy appeared to finally register what trouble he was in. With a speed worthy of a riding duck the boy bolted out the door.

"Kuina! He just ran past you! After him!"

With a whoosh of white smoke, the marine-officer was out the door. The girl, one of her cloaks askew and revealing the marine uniform underneath, looked stunned. "Wait... What... _that was him?"_

In a flurry of linen, she too was gone in hot pursuit.

As if on cue, the Fire-Fist Ace scrambled to his feet after being rudely pushed into the rubble, and was harrying after them too. The restaurant-owner shook his head. It was as if it was some kind of comedy routine.

That was the moment when he realized that none of them had remembered to pay...

* * *

_Damn that Straw-Hat_.

He had tricked her, impersonating a madman. And she'd fallen for it. She had had the chance to stop him, and she'd muffed it. In addition, there was that other nugget of information she had just obtained:

_Brother... _This could not possibly have gotten worse. The way Smoker had talked about the flame pirate was as though he was very dangerous criminal. And Straw-Hat Luffy was his _brother_?

Ahead she could hear Smoker call out to Tashigi to stop Straw-Hat, but the man seemed to have some sort of bizarre ability and speed, he had somehow eluded her superior officer and gotten to the top of the buildings and was escaping that way. He couldn't quite elude Captain Smoker though, and who thanks to the power of his devil-fruit, was furiously following in his wake.

She was determined not to lose them. There was a high possibility that like the coward he was, Straw-Hat would be running towards the safety of his crew. Which meant Zoro and her Wadou would be there too.

Her senses were extended as he led them in a wild chase around the town. Vaguely she was aware of running past Tashigi and the other marines from the ship, but she soon left them behind in the maze of buildings. She could still sense Smoker-san engaging in his pursuit, and she took care to keep him on her left (And not crash into anything in her way).

But he had too much of a head start. She'd lost him in the streets ahead.

She gritted her teeth. No, she wasn't beaten yet. She had just one more trump card left to play.

* * *

"_Find the gray watered silk."_

"_What."_

_The trainings were getting more and more ludicrous. Instead of identifying the cloth that Ichii-san held now, Ichii-san was moving on to making her locate a specific bolt of cloth out of the hundreds in the drying-yard- just by the sound._

_The previous training had honed Kuina's senses enough that nine times out of ten she could correctly identify the fabric just by the sound. But sensing its location amidst many others, that was taking it to an entirely new level._

"_Ichii-san, this is impossible!" the girl said, exasperated after an hour of attempting it. "There's just too much noise, too much interference..."_

"_Well, I guess it's impossible for a blind girl to be the world's greatest swordsman, then," Ichii-san replied blithely, heading indoors. _

_Kuina gritted her teeth. She wasn't going to lose. _

_Hours later, dinner time had come and gone, but there was still no sign of Kuina._

"_She should be all right," Ichii said calmly on the worried queries of the maidservant. "Just leave the door unlocked for her."_

"_No need." _

_Both women looked up. At the doorway, looking tired and exhausted, was her protege. In her arms was the a bolt of silk the colour of a stormy sky. _

_The blind kimono-maker smiled. "Come in and eat, we've saved dinner for you." _

_As the starving girl began eating hungrily, Ichii-san sipped her tea. "How did you find it?"_

"_It took a while, but I listened for the right sound, and ignored the others."_

"_Good. Tomorrow, I expect you to find it faster."_

* * *

It was only logical to assume that Straw-Hat Luffy wore a straw-hat.

She'd never really tried applying that particular skill this way before, but now was a time to try, if anything.

Dried straws, interwoven, rustling against each other in a locked pattern...

Off in the distance, far beyond the hearing range of a normal person, she _heard_ it.

She knew which way to go. She took a step forward, then hesitated as another thought occurred to her: She could use the same method to listen for Zoro and go after him instead.

But what would have been the use of that? Zoro, for reasons still left unknown, wouldn't return with her. Whatever hold Straw-Hat had over him, it transcended mere physical proximity. If she ever were to free Zoro, it would have to be by confronting the Straw-Hat himself.

Perhaps she had been chasing the wrong person all this time.

Straw-Hat was every bit as cunning as she'd suspected, for at one point he'd flitted in between two buildings and was abruptly running in the opposite direction. By then she had memorized his presence, and she was sure he was going to try and run round the building and towards her because she knew Tashigi and the other marines were coming from the other direction. Trusting her senses, she ducked through an alleyway to cut him off.

Then ahead of her could hear someone else call out: "There are the Straw-Hat Pirates! Don't let them get away!"

Her heart was hammering wildly now. Zoro was there! Zoro was there!

Straw-Hat was running faster in anticipation of the marines. He was even outpacing them. Kuina leapt out from her hiding place, Koyojaku in her hand ready to strike him down—

And then suddenly, Koyojaku's rippling blade was blocked by the familiar length of her very own Wadou Ichimonji.

* * *

He really should have just been focused in running away, but as he turned back to see if the marines were gaining, he saw, in slow motion, the familiar fluid movement and the flashing blade descending upon his oblivious leader.

Without thinking, Zoro ran back.

Just in time. Kuina's attack on Luffy would have had a very high chance of bisecting their rubber captain if he hadn't been blocking it otherwise.

There was a split second of stillness as both opponents recognized each other.

"Kuina, I can't believe you followed me into the Grand Line," the swordsman said calmly to his rival, whose face was equally stony and controlled. "And why are you dressed as a marine?"

"Guess," she replied curtly, starting a new attack.

"You're trying to go after Luffy now, aren't you?" he countered between dodging strikes.

"As you have rightly observed, Zoro, I am a marine now." He noted she was gritting her teeth in annoyance, an old habit of hers. "That means I go after pirates, especially dangerous ones like your crew and that captain of yours."

"Zoro!" Nami's high-pitched screech carried from a distance. "We can't stop to fight! There's too many marines!"

As annoying as that sea witch was, she was right and fighting was probably not the best thing to be doing right now. But he had no choice. Any other marine, he could have probably turned his back on, but Kuina... Kuina was on a whole different level. That exasperating woman probably wouldn't think twice about cutting down the rest of the crew.

No, with Kuina, you fought with all you had and didn't hold back. That was the agreement.

"I'm not holding back," he warned her as all three swords were drawn.

"You never do," she replied, calmly.

* * *

_Beneath the cool light of the moon, the two children were fighting a duel not befitting someone of their tender ages. This was not practice; they were wielding real swords this time._

_For Kuina, there was no need to hold back, for Zoro had challenged her in the first place. She dispatched her opponent with a deadly concentration and focus, fueled inwardly also by a tranquil kind of rage. _

_If Roronoa Zoro didn't exist, all her problems would have been over._

_In her ears she could still hear the echoes of her father's words. Hurtful and hopeless to fight against._

_She did not want to believe it._

_The dojo was hers by rights. It should have been hers. Since she'd been old enough to to hold a shinai, she'd done everything in her power to live up to expectations of one expected to inherit the honour of her father and generations past. She'd trained. She'd studied theory and observed with her two eyes the swordfighting ways of the adults, analyzed and refined them._

_Her mother, up to that dark day when she'd been lost to them, had believed her to be strong enough. She'd been the best. She'd never lost a match on coming to her own._

_And yet..._

_It was all for nothing. It still hadn't been enough. Just because she had been born a girl, her father was now planning to hand over the dojo to some bratty little green-haired greenhorn because he didn't believe she could keep up with him when she grew up._

_The resentment festered, and solidified into hatred. The rage flowed into her hands, and she attacked without mercy._

* * *

This was a real fight and neither of them gave an inch.

In the heat of battle, her senses were amplified in the natural response to stay alive. She could hear every swing of the blade, every little movement of Zoro's body as he shifted his balance, his stance, his grip.

She could hear the pounding of feet as the marines, fronted by Tashigi, closed in on them. She could hear the pirates talking amongst themselves: A girl was yelling at someone else to do something, another was yelling something about not fighting a lady, and another was telling them not to interfere and was promptly told that this wasn't the time for it.

It certainly wasn't. As they fought, the marines were closing in on them.

"Everyone fall back! The Straw-Hat is MINE!"

She could hear Captain Smoker yelling as he outpaced the straggling marines. Zoro could too, and she knew that even in his dense head he knew the arrival of the devil-fruit user meant the end of the fight for the Straw-Hats.

She also knew this because it had distracted him. Just for the tiniest of moments, he made a mistake and left himself open.

No swordsman worth their mettle would have missed this window of opportunity. She took it.

* * *

_As she held Wadou's keen blade over her defeated rival, she couldn't help but realize that the only obstacle to her inheritance was but was one sword thrust away. And they were fighting for real; no one could really fault her for "accidentally" inflicting a fatal blow._

_All she had to do was bring it down. And there would be no more Zoro to tempt her father into passing her over for._

_Time slowed down. The progress of her sword slowed to a crawl. _

_All she had to do was it, and it would be all over._

* * *

The scenario on the streets of Nanoha would have been best described as "frozen".

The marines were frozen to the spot, in astonishment at their lowly peer and what she had accomplished.

The pirates were frozen to the spot, in disbelief at what had happened to their ultimate swordsman.

Kuina was frozen to the spot, her breath frozen in disbelief at what she herself had done.

And looking back at her in equal disbelief, his face a picture of shock and betrayal, was Roronoa Zoro, the pirate hunter who at one time had been known as the greatest swordsman in the East Blue.

* * *

_All she had to do was it, and it would be all over._

_It was that look of defeat and terror in his face that had struck her then._

"_It is dishonourable for a swordsman to continue fighting against an opponent who has already been beaten," a voice, very like her mother's, said in her head._

_She looked down at the face that had always looked up to her in both envy and admiration._

_She hesitated._

_The blade wavered._

_At the last moment she diverted the blow and sank the katana into the grass beside his head._

* * *

"What—" Zoro was enraged, "—the hell do you think you're playing at, Kuina?"

Admittedly it was a moment of carelessness, and he had paid for it fair and square. In a rather eerie replay of Loguetown, but juxtaposed, he was backed up against the wall, and Kuina's sword was embedded in it, a scant inch away from his face. His childhood friend looked equally surprised at herself, for she had diverted the killing blow at the very last moment.

"I didn't mean to..."

Around them, the onlookers were somewhat at a loss why Kuina, who should have the upper hand, seemed mortified. "I-I don't know what came over me." She pulled her sword back out of the wall. But the fight seemed to have gone out of her.

"We promised!" he growled angrily. "No holding back on each other! If you had a chance to take me down, you should have just done it then!"

"I KNOW!" Kuina snapped back. "I meant to kill you! My hand just... just acted on its own!"

"What kind of lame excuse is that?"

"ZORRRRRO!"

"Stupid marimo-head!"

"Zoro! Hang on!"

The pirate crew seemed to have found their voices, she knew from the volume that they were racing back to help their swordsman.

"Great. You're embarrassing me now..." groaned Zoro.

"Shouldn't you be worrying about the fact that your entire crew is going to be captured?" she retorted. As if on cue, the billowing voice of Captain Smoker bellowed out:

_"WHITE BLOW!"_

They could hear the whooshing contrail of smoke from Captain Smoker's attack. He wasn't messing around and going straight for Straw-Hat Luffy.

And just at that moment, another voice joined the fray.

_"KAGEROU!"_

There was a sudden premonition of doom. And the next moment, the world dissolved into a blossom of fire.

* * *

She could feel the burn-scar on her face prickling, and the horrifyingly familiar sensation of the burning heat—

_It all happened for the want of a nail..._

_That step had always been loose. She'd tripped and fallen from it a dozen times._

_But this was the first time it had such a deadly impact._

_Instinctively, as she went hurtling down the stairs, she had her good hand flung forward to break her fall, letting go of her katana as she did so. _

_In another lifetime, the fall might have killed her. But in this one, she was pretty sure it had been limited to some broken bones at most. It was a relief she hadn't broken something important like her neck, but even as the pain stabbed through her there was the realization that the oil lamp in her hand was missing..._

_No. It wasn't missing. Time was slowing down. It had crashed into the floor, splattering oil everywhere and even on to her face. The portion of the wick that was lighted had bounced off the floor, and was once again settling into the pool of inflammable liquid... _

_This time it caught fire, and the wicked orange tongues were leaping towards her. _

_She had to get away, but the broken bones meant that her body wouldn't obey her fast enough._

_And then the fire was everywhere, and the horrible smell of her own burning flesh was secondary only to the shrill scream that she could barely recognise as her own._

* * *

The ribbons of flame were rippling around the figure of the newcomer. It— he stood between them and the terrifying smoke marine captain from Loguetown.

Every Straw-Hat had stopped to watch in astonishment. All except one, who was picking himself up after diving to the ground and flinging himself over the female marine swordsman.

"Since then was that marimo-head such a gentleman?" Sanji wondered, happily diverting his attention from looking at the back of a shirtless guy to the girl sprawled out on the sand.

"Baka! What are you doing just standing there?" Zoro was yelling angrily at the girl. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?'

Sanji always had a roving eye for women and this was the first time he'd had a chance at a proper look. This one was a bit of a pettanko*, but nice figure otherwise, a rather cute demure look that was a shade of shell-shocked at the moment. He hoped that that dark patch over her face was just simply dirt.

Actually now that he thought about it, he had the nagging feeling he'd seen her somewhere before.

"...my face isn't on fire..." the girl was muttering to herself.

"Couldn't you at least dive out of the way?" The swordsman was still furious.

"...it's not on fire..."

"Are you listening to me?"

"...not... on... fire..." The voice was shaky, rapid and desperately trying to regain some semblance of self-control.

"Oi." The angry tone had changed to one of worry. "Are you ok?"

Sanji nearly swallowed his cigarette in shock. That idiot swordsman was expressing concern... for a _girl_?

The girl finally seemed to have broken out of the state of shock she had been in. "Z... Zoro-kun? You... You...!"

Sanji pinched himself. Hard.

Ow. Nope, he was definitely seeing this. Either that or he had died and was in hell. If that was true, the girl and Zoro were next going to profess their undying love for each other and sail off into the sunset to live happily ever after.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Marimo said coolly.

And lo, the the world shifted back into sanity for Sanji. The swordsman seemed to have reverted into his normal, boorish self.

Standing up fully, the swordsman turned away from the stunned girl to look at the flaming newcomer, who was calmly facing the smoke guy off as though the latter was not an insanely powerful devil fruit user. "So that guy has a devil fruit ability too..." said Zoro.

"Who the hell is this guy and why is he helping us?"

It was a good question.

* * *

"We can't talk like this. You guys run for it! I'll keep these guys busy!"

The terrifying flaming pirate was between her and the others. Even if she could find where she had dropped Koyojaku, she doubted she'd be able to take him on.

If only her legs would stop trembling.

_I am not afraid of the fire, s_he told herself firmly.

Lies. Blatant lies.

"Let's go!" The voice was high-pitched and shrill. But it carried a ring of authority in it. It had to be the voice of Straw-Hat Luffy!

Damn coward, running away! She had to get up and confront that scoundrel before he escaped.

She hadn't come all this way to lose Zoro again! Zoro had shielded her from the fire. In that instant, all the anger and betrayal she had been feeling towards him crumbled away, because now she knew that somewhere inside, he was still himself and he still cared. Even recovering Wadou took second seat to that... yet- he had to pretend to not to be concerned- which meant he couldn't act like himself in front of that monster of a captain... just what hold _did_ that Straw-Hat have over him?

"Please forgive that marimo's boorish manners, Miss Lovely Marine!" sang out another of the pirates as he fled. "Maybe next time we'll..."

"Oi! Oi!" That was definitely Zoro's voice. "Don't go flirting with _her_, you damn ero-cook!"

"What did you say, you stupid swordsman?'

"SHE'S... OFF LIMITS!"

"Who asked you?"

Their bickering voices were fading away into the distance.

_Get up! Get up and go after them! _

But her stupid legs wouldn't move.

"You may be smoke..." came the familiar voice of the mystery man from the restaurant. "...but I am fire. With the nature of our powers a fight between us would be pointless."

Smoker did not seem impressed, however. They were going to fight. "Move, Portgas D. Ace."

Perhaps the fear of being caught in another firestorm was what that finally gave her control over her feet- she got up, and half-ran, half-staggered after the retreating Straw-Hat pirates.

Behind her, she could feel the heat wave of the firewall buffet her.

_Keep running. Keep running!_

The sounds of different streets and people whistled by. They varied from the startled shouts of the startled inhabitants, to what sounded (oddly enough) like a quacking duck. She ran as hard as she could, but she had wasted too much time earlier. By the time she reached the docks the pirates were already on board their ship and sailing away swiftly.

The thought crossed her mind to do a Mihawk maneuver and cripple their ship- but she'd left her sword somewhere back where Smoker was presumably still fighting Fire-Fist Ace.

She gritted her teeth in frustration. This was beginning to get tedious- but she'd let him get away again.

* * *

The three loiterers were cautiously circling the marine ship, trying to gauge if anyone was home. It seemed rather quiet, if not for the forlorn mutterings of the lone prisoner tied to the mast.

It seemed as though the coast was clear, an the leader of the three, and ambitious young chap named Mr. Mellow, was about to set foot on board when the board he was standing on suddenly gained a bullet hole. This was also accompanied by a bang, but the main concern that Mr. Mellow had at the moment was that the hole on the board was placed precisely in the empty space between his two boots.

'Oh, pardon me." A thin, tall and somewhat sour-looking marine seemed to have appeared from nowhere. Mr. Mellow blinked. He had been sure there had been no one in sight just a moment ago. "I seem to have accidentally discharged my gun—accidentally."

The three gawkers stared at him in surprise.

"I mean what are the chances of my accidental stray shot happening to just miss hitting anyone? Accidentally? Lucky. Oh. So lucky."

"Uh..." Mr. Mellow began, carefully noting the said marine's attire. It was an officer's uniform, perched upon the man's sparse, stick-like frame.

"I mean it's not as though you lot were— " the marine pressed on, none too convincingly. "—loitering around with some unsavoury purpose in mind. I mean, my accidental misfire couldn't possibly have had the intention of being aimed at you, Right?"

At this point, Mr. Mellow took a step back.

"As in, you know, a _warning shot,_" the marine officer added, as if his meaning wasn't quite clear enough yet.

"Laws!" A short, balding old man appeared from behind the first marine with a revolver in hand. "I hope I never have to hear you give a speech, Briggs. You'd never get to the point."

"Doctor, not in front of the—"

"HEY YOU DAMN KIDS!" Hollered the 'Doctor', oblivious to the protests of the interrupted officer. "GET OFF MY GANGPLANK!"

At this point, Mr. Mellow and gang decided that they had had enough, and scampered off. Just as well, as at the moment, another one of their cohorts had come running up with the exciting news that Fire-Fist Ace had been seen in town and that certainly merited more attention given the Whitebeard pirate's enormous bounty.

With that prospect, Mr. Mellow was content to leave the marine ship alone for time being. But it was not long before the news was passed around the ranks of the Baroque Work's Billions to watch out for a twin-masted marine brig, and if possible, eliminate the prisoner it carried on board.

In short, the damage had been done.

* * *

"I don't know what you thought you were doing, running after a 30 million beli pirate without a weapon," scolded Tashigi disapprovingly. Kuina stood before both her superior officers, having returned only to have to report her failure.

"It wouldn't have done any good anyway," Smoker interjected. "Not with someone like that Portgas on their side. Swords are of no use against a logia type like him. Speaking of which, what were you doing in the restaurant Portgas was at?"

Kuina tried to stay calm. "I heard him mention Straw-Hat Luffy's name, sir. I followed him to make sure that I'd heard it right... I had no idea he was that notorious a pirate. Sir."

"I see." Captain Smoker sat upon an upturned section of collapsed wall, calmly smoking his pair of cigars. Behind him burned the wall of fire, which the marines were busily trying to put out. "And sadly, you would not have been able to see the insignia on his back because of your condition."

Kuina nodded and stayed tactfully silent while Smoker went on to talk about the presence of a Princess Vivi with the Straw-Hats. The more she heard the more it alarmed her. A princess of the desert kingdom, running alongside a wanted criminal willingly and apparently of her own free will. It sounded suspiciously similar to what had happened to Zoro. The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced there was something about Straw-Hat that was deceptively dangerous. That man had some sort of bizarre ability which allowed him to impose his will on others.

She remained in troubled silence as Smoker began talking about how Straw-Hat was apparently targeting the shicibukai of the same country, one Sir Crocodile whose headquarters lay somewhere called Rainbase.

It would be where they would be headed next. Inwardly Kuina made a note to ask Piers for more information about Rainbase the first chance she got.

"I'm heading back to the ship. I want to talk to Briggs about our next move."

"Yes sir!" Tashigi saluted as Smoker's broad back disappeared into the distance.

Kuina made a move to follow, but was arrested by the other woman's voice.

"Kuina..."

"Yes, Tashigi-san?"

"Captain Smoker wasn't there to see it then, but _I_ saw. You could have taken down Roronoa Zoro back there." Tashigi's voice was accusing. "You held back. Why?"

"I fully intended to." Kuina replied slowly. "I..."

"Didn't you both train at the same dojo?"

"It was a subconscious reaction. A mistake. I will not repeat it again."

There was a disapproving silence.

"Given your previous actions," Tashigi's voice sounded as though she were struggling with herself. "I would expect to hear an excuse like that coming from someone like Piers, but not from you. Can you handle Roronoa Zoro or not?"

_She was weak... A sentimental girl who would never become the world's greatest swordsman because she was too soft on a childhood friend._

Her temper, long kept under careful control, had frayed in the period she had been away from the kimono-maker's house, and now gave way easily.

"I'm sorry I did not perform to Tashigi-san's expectations," Kuina retorted. The words were respectful, but her tone was not. "I shall let Tashigi engage Zoro the next time. I am sure she would be able to take-him-out."

The insult was subtle, but Tashigi got the point. Maybe that's why it put her out of the mood to give the girl a proper dressing-down, and she stalked off angrily towards the ship.

The moment the other swordswoman was out of hearing, Kuina groaned and sat down dejectedly. "Baka baka baka!" she muttered to herself. It had felt good at that moment, but it was stupid of her to have done that. The bravado was one thing, but the knowledge that she had just made an enemy out of her superior officer and roommate had sunk in. It was going to be ugly down the line when she had time to think things over.

"Miss Kuina!" There was really no need to guess who it was. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you — well I've been looking all over for it and boy did I have to search through a lot of junk because that Fire-Fist Ace sure made a mess of things what with him fighting Captain Smoker and being a devil-fruit user but all I guess it was to be expected with an epic clash like that. Anyway, where'd you go after the whole fight anyway? I was really worried especially when you went running off without your sword—"

"_Koyojaku_!" If Kuina was given to swearing she would have burst into a tirade of those then. For a moment she'd nearly forgotten she'd dropped her sword somewhere back at the fight scene. Inwardly Kuina prayed that Ichii-san never found out that she had dropped her precious heirloom sword in the streets of some desert port town and had gone running in the opposite direction. Because, if the blind kimono-maker ever did hear of it, she, Kuina, would be _dead_.

"Yeah about that," Piers said as he proffered something wrapped in her abandoned desert cloak. "Here it is. I found it and thought you'd probably like to have it bac—"

He didn't get any further, because Kuina, overjoyed, had impulsively flung herself at him in a grateful hug.

"Thank you! Piers-san! Oh thank you! _Thank you!_"

"Err... wow." She didn't notice that Piers' ears were a brilliant shade of vermillion. "It's no big deal... I mean... eh... er..."

"You are too good to me. Thank you."

"It's nothing, Miss Kuina." Piers sounded rather surprised. "Not for someone who saved my life, remember?"

_Saved my life. _

At the moment, something clicked.

"Officer Piers!" The voice of one of the other marines interrupted the moment. "Get to the ship, will you? Captain wants to talk to you about something."

"Right... I have to go, Miss Kuina."

Piers began to scuttle off, anxious not to keep Captain Smoker waiting. On impulse, Kuina spoke.

"Piers-san?"

He paused and turned back. "Yes, Miss Kuina?"

"You know what Piers-san said some time ago... that Piers-san had a block when fighting with real weapons and even though he knew he shouldn't, he still held back because he was scared of killing someone?"

"Oh yeah... that."

"I owe Piers-san an apology," she explained. "Back when you said that I had thought that was rather silly, but as it turns out, I'm not any better."

Piers gave her a quizzical look, which translated into a quizzical silence.

"But you managed... Miss Thursday..."

"I know. I thought I was immune. That it'd all be just easy... like it. But it's not... " she trailed off.

"No, it's not." Piers sounded rather uneasy now. As if he wasn't quite used to this facet of her and how to react. For a moment, her mask had slipped.

And just as quickly, she recovered as understanding flooded in. "Don't mind me, Piers-san," she attempted to say with a smile. "Go! You should head off to find Smoker-san now. I'll be fine. "

After he had left, she sighed and stopped sensing her surroundings for a moment, letting the blankness that came in its place encompass her. And from this void, the answer came ringing clear. Perhaps she had known it all along but just never bothered to put it into coherent thought.

But she accepted it, and it gave her the strength to carry on.

She would never be able to fight Zoro the same way they used to. She understood this now. Not until she had saved him from Straw-Hat Luffy. Not until the favour was returned.

Because she was in his debt. Because he was the one who had saved her.

* * *

_She sat alone in the darkness, because it made no difference to her: someone who was now doomed to spend the rest of their life seeing nothing. _

_Despite herself, she wept. It was over. She had lost. Without losing a match even, she had still lost._

_She had vowed to become the greatest swordsman in the world. Just like she had said in the heat of the moment, just to show her father. She had made a promise to Zoro even. But the silence just laughed at her as cruel reality sank in. How could one crippled East Blue village girl ever hope to accomplish some grand dream like that?_

_In answer, came the strident call: _

"_Kuinnnaaaa!"_

_She grimaced. The little upstart was there again, banging at the door. She knew his stubborn little face would be fixed in a picture of determination._

"_Zoro, go away!" She tried to ignore the pounding on the door and his plaintive cry:_

"_Kuina! Come out and fight me! We promised! You can't just run away from it by falling the stairs!""_

_An angry exchange of words followed. She wondered if he were mocking her. No one could have possibly understood how she felt. It was so easy for him to just say things._

_"What would YOU know, Baka-Zoro! Why don't you try fighting blind?"_

_His answer was a surprise._

_"Very well, I accept your challenge. I'll cut my eyes out and..."_

_"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!"_

_He would go that far. _

_"Fine. From now on I'm going to fight every duel blindfolded... Until you come out of there and fight me."_

_He really meant it. Her tears dried as a reassuring certainty settled in her heart._

_At the very least, there would always be one person who would always have this unwavering belief in her. _

_And as long as he did, so would she._

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

***Chapter Footnotes:**

**[1] Keelhauling **= A rather unpleasant punishment that involves tying the punishee being dunked and dragged under the keel of a ship with a rope. I don't think Smoker was serious about this. I think.

**[2] Demoted to seaman over some guy in a dancing contest **= In case you were wondering, why yes, that guy's nickname IS "Ironfist".

**[3] One of Whitebeard's Division Commanders **= It's probably quite obvious which WB commander this is, so I'll just let you guys figure it out on your own.

**[4] Don Krieg the Marine **= Don Krieg was previously a marine before he turned pirate. In fact, sailing under the guise of a marine was one of his favorite tactics.

**[5] Spindly Black Notebook of Death** = And suddenly, Luffy became known as Monkey L. Luffy...

**[6] This is madness. No. This. Is. Straw-Hat! **= I would have put that in word by word... and that would have been awesome.

**[7] Pettanko **= Flat-chested woman, who is either self-conscious and/or proud of it (I apologize for leaving out this chapter's note earlier, I had to add this chapter note in later because too many people were asking about what the word meant XD My bad)

* * *

_**It's finally done! Thanks to the lovely reviewers and critics who took the time to write in and point out my mistakes. I love it when you guys do that!**_

_**I apologize for this chapter taking such a long long time. I broke the my record length for a chapter. 12K words... I keep telling myself I should make each chapter shorter, but it never really ends up that way .**_

_**In truth I'd actually finished this chapter over one month ago, but when I read it over, it didn't pass my personal quality control. I didn't enjoy rereading it, and I found multiple plot holes that given the perceptiveness of my audience, I'd be hauled up for XD. So I had to redo over half of the chapter from scratch. The story is beginning to diverge from canon at this point, as I'm sure you have noticed, so event may start playing out differently from what you remember.**_

_**The most interesting part of this chapter to write was the relationship between Zoro and Kuina. Theirs has always been a complex, contradictory kind of bond. Rival and friend, enemy and family, I really wanted to make sure I got that down right.**_

_**I don't feel that I've done much justice to Tashigi this chapter though. I don't know why my good moments for her never seem to work out and end up being written out : Maybe it's just the wrong time for it.**_

_**It's been a hard chapter to complete. As you all know I love reviews and feedback, so please do keep my spirits up by dropping me a note!**_

_**Oh yes, and our usual Q and A:**_

* * *

_**Sorakage Sama: **__I couldn't help but snicker at Kuina's nightmare version of the events at Whiksey peak. "Wordlessly, the ensorcelled swordsman raised his blades. And the screams of terror began..." Ensorcelled my butt! Zoro had a grand old time testing out his new swords against a gaggle of bounty hunters._

_**A: Yes he did, didn't he?**_

_***chuckle* I just had too much fun writing that scene- it ended up going further than from the truth that I could have thought possible XD If there was a scene I'd want to see animated, it would be that, just for the sheer OOCness. *imagines voice actors hamming it up!***_

* * *

_**yumeniai: **__And Kuina's inteligence is once again proved to be on the same level as Zoro's ... I'd always imagined her to be smarter too (HAHA!) Maybe Nami's 'so strong it's stupid' theory does have some bearing here ..._

_AWESOME UPDATE! Hilarious too ... especially Piers knocking out Mr 11! But now that Kuina's killed for the first time, how's she actually faring? One Piece usually don't linger too much on kills, and Zoro seems to enjoy it, but I'm not really sure that's realistic. And so far, Kuina seems to be a realistic character ... so is this going to have some sort of effect on her?_

_**A: Well I hold the opinion that intelligence for the characters vary based on field of expertise. For example, Zoro is incredibly dense and idiotic on some things, but he can be sane and smart about others too, such as his idea of a double-blind nakama proof mark in Alabasta, or the impact of Usopp's defiance in Water 7. Same applies to say, Sanji, who is a tactical genius who outsmarts Crocodile etc etc, but see something in a skirt... well game over for him.**_

_**I figured I should apply the same to Kuina, so while she's intelligent on some things, but thanks to some preconceived notions, she can't (figuratively) see the forest for the trees in others. And she uh... may not be the best judge of character in the world...**_

_**Kuina in my opinion, has had a sheltered life, so a lot of what happens will play on her naivete and experience. I chose to have her a bit more hardened (but not totally jaded) on the idea of killing, because it's incongruous that you dedicate your life to a martial art that has the end purpose of taking a life and not be aware of it. Will it have an effect on her... hehe I'm not going to answer that one. Let's just say... we'll see.**_

* * *

_**Aoihand: **__Thank god Piers didn't try to be a hero! I approve wholeheartedly of his reasonable and sensible reactions. There's a character who understands self-preservation is not cowardly and duty is far more important._

_Loved Kuina's reaction to her killing of Miss Thursday. Swordswoman to the core. I like how her reactions are similar to those of Zoro and Tashigi in post battle. (assessing and 'I must be stronger!')_

_I'm also enjoying all of the other Ocs (even when as you say, they're an ass. XD)_

_**A: Yay! I was worried that I might be shifting the attention a bit too much on Smoker's party, but hopefully no one will break down from Straw-Hat withdrawal symptom before Alabasta!**_

_**Piers has become my attempt at writing a character whose appeal does not hinge on fighting skill. All that said, everyone seems to love the irony of him being the one decking Mr. 11 XD **_

_**Surprisingly I have found myself enjoying writing Briggs and Doctor-san as well. They're supposed to be background characters, but my word have they been trying to sneak out of that classification recently!**_

_**I'm scared of derailing this fic into an OC fest though. Must... remember... this is... a Zoro and Kuina fic first and foremost... *mutters to self as she writes***_

* * *

_**callosum:** I'm really impressed by the level of writing and detail in this chapter, especially your use of the canonical bits people might forget like the fact that Mr 11 was captured by the Marines and the named katana falling into Tashigi's hands. _

_**A: Most people tend to not remember that those are canon tie-ins, especially since they occurred offscreen and were just mentioned in passing dialogue. It's nice to find someone else who notices this XD**_

* * *

_**Kisdota-The Freak Gamer : **__GANDA SO, NICE CHAPTER, THIS'LL BE FUNNY WHEN KUINA FINDS OUT THE TRUTH ABOUT LUFFY. HOW LONG UNTIL ZORO AND KUINA MEET, BECAUSE THE PAIRING IS HALF THE REASON THAT SOME OF YOUR READERS EVEN CAME TO THIS FIC, YAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA_

_**A: No worries, I do keep that in mind, and but as I have to keep this in sync with the timeline, I can only write in a meeting between Zoro and Kuina when it is actually feasible ') Fortunately, I don't think you'll have to wait too much longer ;)**_

_**Pom Rania: **I love it! Wish I could give you some liquid inspiration for your next chapter to drink (and the time to write it all)._

_**A: Thank you! I'd love a glass of liquid inspiration!**_

* * *

_**Anzer'ke: **__To be honest my only worry with this fic is that the addition of Kuina would relegate Tashigi from being an actual rival to Zoro to a much weaker character. However I now see that trying to predict your writing is beyond me, I look forward to surprises aplenty._

_One problem, if they jacked the conversation between Sanji and Crocodile then wouldn't that put all this as in the middle of events the strawhats experienced. If so shouldn't someone have noticed the explosions, or the giant wax thing...or at least the giants. Just seems the timelines a little off._

_**A: Thanks so much for pointing out the error, I went back and rewrote the section to fix the plothole. But seriously, I really appreciate your good constructive criticism. IMHO, the fact that a reader is actually immersed enough into a story that they would notice such a minute discrepancy in the details is a far greater compliment than all the LOL AWESOME FIC WRITE MOREs in the world ;) **_

_**I worry about Tashigi too. Kuina is Zoro's main rival character, and at the present Tashigi is far behind them, but I don't want her to just be a clone figure, so I do plan to have her grow too.**_

* * *

_**Siegfried Knighthawk:** Out of curiosity will there ever be a point where Kuina's warped view of Luffy becomes unwarped?_

_**You Me Her:** But I'm just dien to know when is Kuina going to meet Luffy? If you haven thought about it just yet (and if you do decide they will meet) how about at a bar or a tavern/pub/eating place they have a weird but nice convosation and then sometime later she find out he's really Luffy. Or Luffy's just plain nice/being Luffy to her when they first meet? Just thought. XD Will be waiting for an update!_

**_A: *chuckle* Given that everyone is waiting for it, it will be inevitable, won't it? ;) _I don't mind telling you I already have Kuina's moment of truth with Luffy planned out, but I won't spoil it for you... let's just say it occurs within a specific point of the story and oh my it's not going to be orthodox. hehe... eating place, did you say?... hehe**

* * *

_**Gree: **AHAHOOHOOHAHAA!_

_...What a dork. Luffy's not THAT kind of dork. I was thinking something like "Why doesn't Kuina look up Luffy's bounty poster if she doesn't know what he looks like? 'Cause she'd probably be in for a shock. Oh, wait. Duh." I was looking back at the previous chapter, and saw the comment about punching a sea monster in the eye, then the parallel with Luffy. Then Zoro punching a shark. The whole deal with the marines going "WTH happened at Whiskey Peak?" was neatly played, I think. And no, Kuina, that was not how it happened._

_**Eternitybeckons**: xD Oh how much I love Kuina's imagination._

_AH! GO PIERS! "I am a marine after all, you know." I can't imagine how dissapointed Briggs must be to have the spot light stolen twice in a row._

_I can't wait to see what happen next; escpecially now that the Alabasta arc has started ^-^_

_**A: Kuina's imagination does tend to run away with her, doesn't it? **_

_**Briggs is so terribly self-important it's fun to poke holes in his ego XD The same applies to Mr. 11. I had a hard time deciding who would get to finish him off... Kuina, Tashigi, Smoker... then I decided to give it to the last person one would expect. **_

_**I am excited for Alabasta too. I have had the AU version of this arc planned for a while.**_

* * *

_**Xoroth:**__ Considering how you presented Little Garden can we expect Alabasta to be summarized or are there gonna be epic battles since it is a climax to an important arc? Also, in cannon we don't really see how Zoro develops Asura and stuff so I'm hoping that we'll get some nice insight for Kuina's training._

_**A: My rule of thumb is A) If event occurs exactly the same as canon, I either skip the event or mention it in passing B) If the events were only slightly modified from how it happened in canon, I summarize or mention it in passing C) If the event is important and/or occurs offscreen in canon and/or is changed significantly, I expand in detail.**_

_**Alabasta is a major arc event, so I probably will expand it a bit more than the Little Garden interlude ;) **_

_**With regards to Kuina's training, heh you may have read my mind ;) I won't say more than that.**_

* * *

_**Avatoa: **I think you screwed up on Mr. 11's description. Was he supposed to be an OC? Cause they already have a Mr. 11 already in One Piece._

_**A:** **You're absolutely right, I made a mistake on his description. The Mr. 11 here is supposed to be the canon character. I have no idea why I remembered him as a mustached guy (although he does have the top hat with feathers). **_

_**Well done on spotting the error! I love sharp-eyed readers!**_

_***runs off to fix the mistake***_

* * *

**_Lastly, I've updated my DA with a new colour sketch and sorted the TABCF pictures into their own folder: pingteo(dot)deviantart(dot).com/gallery/#Though-a-Bird-Can-t-Fly_**


	10. The Colour of Rage

_**Author's Note: **_

_**Well this is a milestone chapter! 10 … when I started this I certainly never thought I'd get this far! Thanks to everyone who left reviews and favourited the story. It's with your encouragement that I got this far! Special thanks go to the very awesome callosum, whom I have been shamelessly utilising as my beta. :D**_

_**Edit: I'd also like to thank Pom Rania for recommending TABCF over at The TVTropes One Piece Fanfic Recs page... I do enjoy the TV Tropes site, so I'm actually pretty chuffed at being mentioned over there!**_

_**Did anyone else feel a sense of deja vu during Episode 466 of the anime? I know I did, because of the eerie similarity between the tsunami hits the ship part and my Chapter 7. I have no idea whether the revelation that I think the same way as Toei scriptwriters is a good thing or not ;)**_

_**Anyway, to get you in the mood for reading, here's another art piece of Smoker's Crew in colour, for those of you who don't watch my DA account: pingteo(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Smoker-s-Crew-Colour-177790768 . Enjoy!**_

* * *

_**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will.**_

**Chapter 10: The Colour of Rage**

* * *

_**Rainbase, the City of Dreams. Present day.**_

As a rule, the streets of Rainbase never fell silent.

Set in the middle of the desert, the City of Dreams was a contradiction in itself. On one hand you had the vast empty desert, devoid of resources. And on the other, you had a city centered around nothing else but the pursuit of every pleasure.

Throughout the year, vast numbers of people thronged the pleasure town, often to emerge poorer but happier. Sometimes they also emerge poorer and unhappier, but that is to be expected also.

Today however, the streets of Rainbase were even less silent than usual, namely because they were flooded with squadrons of marines chasing after a handful of pirates.

Roronoa Zoro was one of the aforementioned pirates. And he was not pleased about it.

After days of nothing but sand, it had been a relief to just sit still. Pulling Chopper along on the sled hadn't really been taxing, but even his calloused hands had begun to feel the chafing of the rope after days of trudging through the burning wasteland.

So what Zoro was _really_ feeling sour about was the fact that the first chance they got, their stupid captain and sharpshooter JUST had to go wander into a restaurant where two marine-officers were sitting with their eyes wide open, apparently waiting for them. Actually, he wasn't sure about the waiting for them with eyes wide open part, but given the tiny window of time there had been between them arriving and them getting into trouble, there couldn't really be any other possibility.

That one of them turned out to the invincible smoke-captain from Loguetown just had to be icing on the cake. And that would make the fact that right now, the other officer running after him was that woman swordsman from Loguetown the silly little sugar flowers on top of the icing.

The only thing that could top this would be if Kuina were to appear and join in.

Fortunately, she was nowhere in sight as they split up and ran for the casino.

* * *

Sanji did not like fighting women.

In a way he supposed he had deserved it when he had turned and challenged the pursuing marines by saying that 'without that smoke-bastard they were nothing'. How was he supposed to know that _she _had been behind them, and had stepped out to challenge him.

Well, not so much 'challenge' but brandish a sword and demand to know what Luffy was up to.

This caused Sanji no small amount of confusion. The last time he'd checked, he had been sure there was some sort of connection between that female swordsman marine (the other one) from Nanohana and Zoro, but it looked as though she was after Luffy now. Perhaps an old enemy they'd met back in East Blue before he'd joined the crew? He really should have asked one of them about it but that damn swordsman had been just so... touchy about the topic he'd left it alone.

Of course explaining to her that their group had split up and he really wasn't in a position to say where their captain was at the moment did nothing to pacify her. She'd unleashed some sort of slashing attack that had given him an impromptu hair trim— and that was with him anticipating it and dodging.

_Shit, she's better than that shitty marimo._

Of course he might be biased, since nothing in the world would induce him to admit that shitty swordsman was good for _anything_.

"SEAM SPLITTER!" He managed to kick her sword and redirect the attack, but the monument behind him split in half.

_Definitely deadly, but still kind of cute._

Sanji did wonder though, as he dodged desperately, unable to bring himself to attack, how those damned marines had tracked them all the way to Rainbase, and how they had gotten here.

* * *

_**Nanohana, One Week Ago...**_

In the map room of the little twin-masted brig, Captain Smoker was deep in conversation with his navigator.

"So about the intrusion...?" Smoker prompted, ignoring the fact that Briggs was pointedly coughing at the buildup of smoke in the confined space.

"Yes, we scared them off. Otherwise, if I— well,_ we_ hadn't been here, I'm pretty sure something bad would have happened. " The twitchy navigator was drumming his long fingers against the table. "I think that prisoner from Runes had something to do with it too. This _isn't_ normal behaviour. Does it make any sense for your average citizen to try and invade a marine ship? No, of course it doesn't. But something about this country is wrong. As in,I was here years ago and it wasn't like this. The whole place feels wrong now but I can't put my finger on _how_."

"Did you notice anything else?"

"Of course I did. Those men had a tattoo on their arms. I could swear that the insignia matches that of those ships we saw earlier."

"Baroque Works. Our initial theory was that they were acting as supply runners for the rebel army, but so far we haven't found any information confirming it as such," Smoker grunted. "Still I agree with you. Something about this whole situation stinks."

"You actually agree with me?"

"Don't sound so surprised," Smoker drawled. "You're the one with experience in this part of the Grand Line, Briggs, but that wasn't the main reason I brought you along. If there's one thing I know you're good at, it's gathering information and I think it's time we made use of it."

Briggs didn't look pleased. "I was hoping we could avoid that. "

"Well, get used to the idea. You're probably the only one able to carry out what I have in mind."

"How about Rainbase? Who's going to— oh bloody hell... you're going to get that backwater East Blue fisherman to take over navigation aren't you? He's going to get you lost, you might as well stick Tashigi or that blind girl at helm and hope for the be—"

At this point, Smoker's glare cut him off. "I would show more respect for Tashigi and my subordinates if I were you, Briggs." The captain's smoke output was increasing; a warning sign.

Briggs backed down remarkably quickly after that. "All right then. Tell them not to throw too big a party when I'm gone," he groused.

* * *

"Well, we made it!" Acting-navigator Piers announced proudly as the marine brig sailed up the Sandora river. "As Mr. Briggs would say ... (here he did a passable impression of their absent navigator's deep baritone) We made it in record time, as in, the fastest time it's taken to sail from Nanohana on the record. Ever! Haahaha. Well, maybe without the 'Haahaha' part, because Mr. Briggs never laughs, but the record time thing's really what he normally says ain't it?"

"More navigation and less conversation, Piers," was the unenthusiastic reminder from Tashigi. While she liked the man and she suspected Smoker actually did too, but she could tell his chattery tendencies did get on the Captain's nerves and they all really preferred their captain in his amiable moods.

"Yes Ma'am! Sorry Ma'am!"

Despite Brigg's dire predictions, Piers had risen to the task of navigating and it had been fairly trouble-free journey from Nanohana to the river port closest to Rainbase. Smoker's hunch had been that Straw-Hat Luffy would be gunning for Sir Crocodile. Since Crocodile was known to have made his casino in Rainbase his headquarters, it seemed likely that if they waited there long enough, the pirates would show up.

With regards to their navigator's absence, Smoker had explained that he had sent Briggs on a mission, but the rest of the crew held a private conviction that he'd annoyed the captain again and the truth was that he had really been sent on an errand to get him out of the way. As Briggs was not particularly popular on board the ship, no one really complained. The warrant officer never mingled with the crew anyway, so social life on the ship went on as normal, and by all accounts the clandestine party had really been something.

"We're going to wait here. Piers, in Briggs' absence you are in charge of the ship. I want you and your squad to be on the lookout in case the pirates show up on their ship."

"Yes Sir!"

"There's also the possibility that they abandoned their ship and decided to cross the desert on foot. So we're going to position our soldiers around the town. Tashigi and I will be in charge of the ground forces. Keep your eyes open."

And they did. Well... sort of, if you didn't count the incident where Tashigi and Smoker had been so deep in conversation they hadn't noticed the loud entrance of a certain pair of thirsty pirates who had just crossed the desert.

Fortunately, that was rectified one minute later.

* * *

And this was how Kuina came to be facing off Sanji, cook of the Straw-Hat pirates.

While there had been talk of her staying in Piers' squad (and being stuck on the ship), Piers had insisted that she be assigned to Smoker 's group. He knew her well enough by then that she'd prefer to be one of the ones pursuing the Straw-Hats and would have chafed at the inaction.

Which was good foresight. Apparently, Straw-Hat himself had brazenly come through the door with one of his flunkies, run into Smoker and Tashigi, and in the ensuing chaos of pursuit, his entire gang of pirates had been flushed out and were now running in all directions across town.

When the fugitives had split up she had attempted to use her senses to track Straw-Hat down, but then it had been so chaotic in that somehow they'd raised the ire of the townspeople, some of whom were giving chase too. In any case, the extra people had been her downfall in this instance, as too much interference meant that she wasn't going to be able to hear the sounds well enough. On losing the sounds of Straw-Hat's straw-hat or Zoro's haramaki, she'd settled for the next most familiar sound, the flirtatious pirate who had been in Nanohana. She wasn't sure what she was going to do with him when she defeated him though. He didn't seem to be keen on fighting her offensively.

In fact it soon turned out that the reason he didn't want to was because of her gender. Some sort of gentlemanly honour kind of thing. Long ago this would have resulted in her being royally insulted, but now that she was a marine and he was nothing but a pirate, she understood it wasn't personal, so she only fought hard enough to get him to surrender. From her point of view he was probably another poor schmuck who had been blackmailed into serving Straw-Hat anyway, so there was no need to go all out.

"Please Miss Marine!" He dodged her strike again. He was rather good at this. "Violence is totally unnecessary for one as lovely as yourself!"

She really wasn't used to this kind of treatment. People always admired her skills, but no one had even complimented her on her looks since her scarring (well unless you counted Piers, who thought it cool, which was not the same thing as 'lovely'). Despite herself, she blushed.

"Surely you must understand how I could never hurt a lady of grace and elegance such as yourself?"

With some effort, she shook herself and told her vanity that this was all flattery and no, she wasn't going to let it get to her. "Where is Straw-Hat going?" She demanded. "Tell me!"

"I hate to deny a beautiful lady's request..." the other man said. "But I'm afraid I can't tell you..."

Way too well-bred and noble to be a pirate. Yet he had such loyalty to that fiendish captain. He had to be protecting someone... was Straw-Hat such a genius at taking perfectly respectable people and ruining their lives by forcing them to become pirates under him?

* * *

_The ball was in full swing, as the ladies took turns dancing with the elegant Prince Charming. The subjects all loved their prince, for he was as handsome outside as his heart was pure. After all, on the day he was born the angels themselves had gotten together, and decided to make a dream come true, sprinkling gold dust in his hair and starlight in his eyes so blue*. _

_All was beauty and contentment, but upon this happy scene, bad news broke like a dark storm before an unprotected shore._

"_Fair Prince! Pirates! Pirates are attacking our kingdom!"_

"_Quickly! We must protect our people! To the stables!" _

_But alas, for all the valour of their men, they were no match for the evil pirate Straw-Hat Luffy!_

"_Impossible! The royal calvary has been defeated!" Panic reigned as the remnants of the army retreated._

"_Yes! I, The diabolical Straw-Hat Luffy shall now raze your pathetic little kingdom to the ground! And kill this random woman here!"_

"_Nooooo! I'll do anything to protect my people!" The noble prince came forward. "Release her! Take my life instead!"_

"_AHOOHOOHAHAHA! Just taking your life isn't enough. You really want me to spare your people, Princeling? Then serve me for life! Pledge your service to me and I promise I won't lay a hand on your people!"_

"_Noble prince! Don't do it!" the woman pleaded._

"_But I must!" said the prince. "For our people's sake." And then he turned to the pirate. "If you will spare my people and leave this place and never come back, then I swear my utmost loyalty to your cause, Straw-Hat Luffy!"_

_Straw-Hat Luffy laughed evilly, and motioned for his men to bring the Prince on board. "It is done."_

* * *

Such heinousness! Not for the first time, Kuina vowed to put an end to that.

* * *

The Baroque Works agent was staring up and into the pretty blue, cloudless sky.

After all it was what you would see if you were floating on your back in the water because you'd just fallen off a ship after being punched in the face by a marine.

"Mr. 11 is there," the message from Nanohana had said. "The marines have him prisoner, the order from the boss is to silence him."

Stupid message should have mentioned that the ship was guarded by an overzealously watchful officer and a squad of marines.

Another Baroque Works agent went flying off the ship and into the water.

"Whoops... sorry about that, didn't mean to break your nose!" said the marine officer. "But stay out, okay?"

"Officer Piers, you don't have to apologize to them!" another marine called out.

"Right... sorry."

"You don't have to apologize to us either!" came the exasperated reply.

"I think it's his way of trash-talking," a third marine whispered conspiratorially to his squad-mate as their pugilist officer sent another agent tumbling off the ship.

The agent scowled. They'd come unprepared, but that sure as hell wasn't going to happen again.

* * *

Things were not going well for Sanji. While he had plenty of practice fighting with swordsmen, the lady swordsman's particular style of fighting was so different from marimo's technique that it was distracting. It was fluid and graceful and while she had not the buxom beauty of his beloved Nami-swan, she had a certain elegance about her that was mesmerizing. She was obviously a well-bred lady and the way she moved gave her away despite that unflattering marine uniform—

"Overlock Onslaught!" The woman was executing some crazy stabbing combination attack that made Sanji realize how unsuitable his particular thoughts at the moment were. She was very graceful and all that but she was also not the type of opponent you could afford to lose your concentration on while in a fight.

This setback was so going to keep him from being able to join up with the others at the casino...

* * *

The Moku-Moku marine had gone after Luffy, but it was just Zoro's luck that while taking on both Baroque Works agents and those pesky marines (so Vivi could get away) he found himself still stuck with that annoying marine swordswoman on his tail.

Not Kuina. The other one.

"I told you, our duel was settled in Loguetown!" he said as faced down the woman. Her men were lying in various states of injury on the ground, as they hadn't stood much of a chance against the famed pirate hunter of the East Blue.

"No it is not!" Tashigi scowled, drawing her blade. "I will never rest until I take Wadou Ichimonji and those other swords from your hands!"

"I told you before, the only person who will take—"

The reminder of his previous words seemed to enrage the marine.

"I TOLD YOU I WILL BE THE ONE TO TAKE THEM!"

Zoro raised an eyebrow. That had been said with some rather unnecessary vehemence. But he had enough of the irritating woman. "Fine, come and try."

The fight was short and and decisive. She had never been in the same league with him, and that hadn't changed. In five strokes he had had her disarmed, on her knees and clutching her arm in pain from where it had been slashed. It was not a serious wound.

"You were more of a challenge in Loguetown," he informed her, as he sheathed his swords.

"Aren't you going to kill me this time?" she seemed to be on the verge of crying.

"Don't flatter yourself," he told her, perhaps a little cruelly. "I don't stain my swords pointlessly." He had to catch up with Vivi, so he turned to make his way.

"In that case you should kill me now," the woman had risen to her feet. "Because I swear Roronoa, I am not going to lose to that woman!"

Zoro stopped short. There could only be one person she could be referring to.

* * *

"_You wanted to talk to me, Tashigi-san?" The marines of Smoker's ship were still en route to Rainbase when the seaman had received a summons from her commanding officer._

"_Yes," Tashigi said stiffly to Kuina. "I want to fight you."_

_The girl had been pointedly avoiding her since the incident at Nanohana. "Tashigi-san, I'm not sure if this is proper."_

"_Do I have to threaten you with a keelhauling to get you to comply?" Tashigi snapped. "Or do you consider yourself too special to duel with me?"_

"_I never claimed that I was special, Tashigi-san," Kuina said slowly. "I don't know what is it that you have against me, but if I have inadvertently offended you..."_

_That annoying girl was being patronizing now. Tashigi coolly drew her sword, Kashu. "Let's make it interesting by upping the ante: Fight me, the winner gets to keep the sword of their opponent."_

"_Tashigi-san, I don't think this is a good idea, you are very fond of that sword."_

"_So you have already presumed you will win."_

"_Tashigi-san, with due respect, I—"_

"_Are you too scared to wager your sword? Do you not have confidence in your sword skills?"_

_Tashigi knew she had struck a nerve. Off came the girl's ladylike demeanor, and underneath, where she knew it had been all along, was a competitive, arrogant girl who hated to lose._

"_Fine then. If you won't regret it, let's begin."_

_The portion of the deck that they used for training was cleared as both opponents faced each other. Tashigi wielded Kashu, her stance ready for anything and everything. And Kuina... just stood there, the shikomizue clasped to her chest._

_And she wasn't even drawing her sword!_

"_Why aren't you fighting?" Despite herself she could hear her voice rising in anger. "Are you not even going to give me the satisfaction of a matc—"_

_Even before she knew it was coming, something hit her in the stomach. It hurt. _

_She fell to her knees, gripping her midsection. From the corner of her eye she could just see the concealed blade flash back into its sheath._

_When had Kuina drawn it?_

_Tashigi winced. A cracked rib. At the very least. And she wasn't bleeding, which meant..._

_That girl had just smacked her with the flat of the blade of her sword. And ended the match in the most humiliating manner possible._

"_You left yourself open in at least three places. How can you be a warrant-officer and yet be this sloppy?" The thin veneer of humility from the blind girl's lady-like mannerisms had slipped again. Tashigi could feel her blood beginning to boil._

_Something furious welled up in the warrant-officer in her moment of humiliation. Before she knew it, she was running her mouth off._

"_I NEVER LIKED YOU SINCE THE MOMENT WE MET!"_

_Something about her words were hauntingly familiar._

"_What...?" The girl sounded confused._

"_All my life I've trained my heart out to be a great swordsman, but suddenly you show up and now all I get is your being so much better rubbed into my face! _

_It's just so easy for you, isn't it? You're so freaking gifted being blind isn't even a problem!" _

_The tone of her opponent instantly became defensive. "You don't even know anything about me."_

"_I. Can't. Stand. You!" Tashigi continued her tirade, overriding the other girl's protests. "I can't stand that the very fact that you exist makes me—" here she paused, trying to find the words to express her frustration,"—REDUNDANT!"_

_There was a ringing silence, broken only by her angry breathing as all her repressed fears came rushing out to the surface. It was an odd scene, two women, strangely alike, one breaking down in a storm of emotion and the other watching on, her face an emotionless mask._

"_Zoro said that."_

_Now she remembered. Loguetown. Those were Roronoa's words, and she was parroting them without realizing it._

"_Is that why you wanted to pick a fight with me? To prove him wrong in what he said?" There was a barely-disguised fury in the other girl's voice. "Or would have beating me been some sort of consolation prize?"_

_Tashigi stayed silent, not wanting to betray herself further._

_Nevertheless, Kuina understood. "I am not some substitute for Zoro, Warrant-Officer. And whatever he says does not represent what I think. I am myself! And that's who I've been since the day I was born!" She turned her back to Tashigi. "Thank you for the offer of your sword, but I don't want it. The only sword I intend to claim is my Wadou Ichimonji."_

_And Tashigi was left behind, an ironic echo of her own words haunting her._

* * *

"I am going to take Wadou Ichimonji from you before she does," Tashigi vowed. "I will not lose to her. So if you don't kill me now, Roronoa, know that one day I will be the one to defeat you!"

"Oh?" Roronoa seemed to be amused at her. Or perhaps he was just amused at how his childhood rival had managed to rub her the wrong way. "Strong words, but you don't really have the skills to back it up."

She had lost, and was currently at a disadvantage, but still she bristled at the insult. "You're the same, the both of you! Just because you're so good you think you can be as arrogant as you like!"

This did not seem to impress the pirate hunter. "There is something an infuriating girl once told me," Roronoa's tone was mocking. "Now how did it go again... oh yeah... _a dog that loses should stay quiet, barking about it only makes it look more pitiful_."

This was too much. Before she knew what she was doing, she had snatched up her dropped sword with her good hand, and was furiously engaging Roronoa in battle with it. Rage didn't seem to help her however, because Roronoa simply dropped her with a smack to the ribs with his sheathed sword, without even a glance in her direction.

_Just like that woman had done._

"You want to defeat me, but you and I are not even on the same level," Roronoa said as he walked away. "If you really want to beat her by beating me, you'd better aim to be the greatest swordsman in the world."

He paused, and grinned insolently back at her. "Because Kuina and I, neither of us are settling for anything less."

And then he was gone.

* * *

Kuina ran furiously after the pirate she had been fighting. It was beginning to get really frustrating. The fight had degenerated into a pursuit once more as that man had chosen to flee instead of engaging her in battle. She doubted that her shouts of "GET BACK HERE!" were having any effect.

Damnit, he might have been a lousy opponent, but that man had disproportionate leg strength and could REALLY run. She was having trouble just keeping up with him, much less close the gap between them.

How long this ridiculous chase might have gone on if something else hadn't happened was hard to say. But as it turned out, something _did_ happen.

Suddenly, the world became silent.

No... Kuina was sure she hadn't lost her sense of hearing. She could still hear the sounds of the streets around her, the sounds of the iron-capped shoes her mark wore, even the shouts of the marines in the distance. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something important, something pivotal, had just happened. Her strides slowed as she struggled to identify what it was that was missing.

Of course, the Silence. She had never been consciously aware of it, but there had always been this reassuring sound at the back of her mind. It had always existed. But now... nothing. What ever it was, it had gone dead silent.

_Something is wrong._

Her steps slowed to a stop as she shook her head, trying to figure out what was causing this sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

_Their voices are gone..._

And then suddenly, she understood.

Without hesitation, she turned and ran, away from the direction of the fleeing pirate who was no longer her quarry.

* * *

Tashigi made her way through the chaotic streets, mustering the men who were recovering from the Straw-Hats' onslaught. There had been quite a few wounded, but none seriously, thankfully.

She wondered if Captain Smoker was having better luck than she was.

"Have you seen Captain Smoker?" she asked one of the uninjured marines who was helping his friend to his feet. The marine shook his head.

"No idea, Ma'am! Er... that cut looks nasty, you should get that looked at."

"We can worry about minor injuries later." Tashigi did not want to think about her defeat at the moment. "We need to find Captain Smoker and bring down those pirates."

"We had one of them cornered, but he turned out to be dangerous. We were having a hard time until Seaman Kuina stepped in."

_Wonderful. As if she needed another reminder of Miss Perfect's skill..._

"I'm pretty sure she went after him, but— oh there she is!"

True to his statement, Kuina was haring down the street towards them.

"Kuina! Wait! Have you seen Captain Smo—"

The girl simply ran past her without answering. At first Tashigi had almost been affronted by her rudeness, until she caught a glimpse of the girl's face.

Tashigi admitted that disliked Kuina. She disliked her false facade of being a lady, the undue attention she got for being a skilled swordsman despite her disability, her underlying prideful arrogance that made the warrant-officer feel that the seaman secretly held her in contempt. But one thing that she knew about Kuina that while she might fear some things, it was rare that she ever openly showed that she was terrified of anything.

Yet in that split second the girl had run by, and Tashigi had had no doubt that what she had seen was a Kuina that had been terrified to the core of her being.

* * *

Kuina was running as fast as she could, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The silenced voices were driving her mad.

"Kuina!"

Behind her she could hear Tashigi coming after her. Her one-sided fight with that pirate and the ensuing pursuit had winded her somewhat, and the warrant-officer was able to catch up. "What's going on? Why are you so scared? What happened?"

"Something's wrong ... they're gone!" Kuina managed to gasp as they ran.

How could this disaster have happened? Why hadn't she noticed they had gone missing earlier? _Why hadn't she_?

"What do you mean?" Tashigi sounded puzzled.

_Damn woman, wasn't it clear enough? Didn't she realize the mistake they had made?_

"We need ... to get back ... to the ship!"

Now it was too late...

* * *

_A proud little girl was running into the house to report her unprecedented win in the dojo. For the first time ever, she had beaten someone three years older and two levels above her._

"_Okaa-saaaan!"*_

_Mother had gone to visit some relatives. In fact she had promised to be back in time for the match, but it was normal to have delays when her journeys involved sailing to the other islands, so they hadn't really worried when she had been late home._

"_Okaa-san! Are you home yet? I have great news! I did it! I won!"_

_The house was unnaturally quiet. And still. _

_It was odd... Her mother should have been home by now, waiting outside for her, Kuina to come home. Okaa-san had been due in the morning and it was well past noon..._

* * *

There should have been sailors waiting to greet them on their return; the lookout should have spotted their approach long before. But even from this distance, even as Tashigi saw Kuina dart across the gangplank ahead of her, she could see it was unmanned.

Kuina had been right. Something was very very wrong.

As she got closer she saw through her sweat and dust-streaked glasses the still bodies of the white-clad marines they had left to guard the ship. One... Two.. Three... All of them sprawled on deck, motionless. Whether they were dead or alive she wasn't sure. This was bad enough, and then there were still members of the crew that were still unaccounted for.

A heart-wrenching cry cut through the air. Tashigi had never heard it before, but she knew it could only be Kuina's.

On gaining the top of the gangplank, her heart dropped at the sight that greeted her eyes: Kuina was kneeling by a bloodied figure that lay prone on the starboard side of the boat, near the mast where they had left Mr. 11 prisoner.

Mr. 11 was undoubtedly dead. She judged that he had been shot in the head at point blank range.

And worst of all— Petty Officer Piers, or what was left of him, lying crumpled on the deck. His vest was stained black with what could have only been blood. One arm was bent oddly, suggesting that it had been broken. His bare, clenched fists were now a mockery of the missing iron-knuckle gloves Smoker had given him.

And Kuina was frozen to the spot like a statue.

* * *

_The voices were hushed, and spoke in tones that were unlike anything Kuina had ever heard before. Despite the attempts to speak softly, they carried through the screen doors all too clearly._

"_It happened so quickly, Koshiro... there wasn't even a chance to..."_

"_Up to the end, Kujaki was trying to say something, but we couldn't..."_

_Kuina flung the screen open, ignoring their cries of alarm and came face-to-face with the white horror of the truth._

* * *

"Did you find the doctor anywhere?" Tashigi asked Kuina, who was still frozen in some sort of shock. The girl could barely shake her head.

"Down... below... told him... barricade self in."

Both women jumped.

"Piers, you're alive?" breathed Tashigi in astonishment. The man had taken an insane amount of punishment, there should have been no way he could still be breathing, much less be in a state to talk.

"Baroque Works ... Billions," gasped the marine. "Took out ... first group ... but second group ... came back from behind ... gunned us down." He struggled for breath, coughing up blood as he did so. "Sorry ... Warrant-Officer ... he killed ... prisoner ..."

At this point, Kuina got up and wordlessly headed below decks. Tashigi didn't need to ask to know where she was going.

"Don't worry about such stupid things at a time like this!" Concern made Tashigi raise her voice at her subordinate. "And don't try to talk!"

Piers shook his head and smiled weakly. "Doctor'll fix me ... tell ... Miss Kuina ... not ... to … w—" But the effort of speaking finally seemed to have taken it out of him, he closed his eyes and lay still, the remainder of his sentence left unfinished.

"PIERS!" Tashigi tried to remember her first-aid training from the academy. "DAMNIT! PIERS!" Why the hell was Kuina taking so long? Where was the doctor?

"Those intruder bastards!" swore the doctor when he came up deck with Kuina in tow, carrying medical supplies. "They tried to shoot the door-lock to get to me. Didn't work but it did ruin the lock and jam it shut so I was trapped down there until Kuina-girl came and reduced the door into splinters— Oh laws... Piers, you damned fool! I said don't come back crying to me when you get sick, not when you get killed!" The doctor fooled no one, and everyone could tell that he was scared for his patient.

The other marines with her had finally caught up and some were checking on the condition of the other marines, while others watched in dismay. Kuina was calmly helping to tend to the wounded. After the first few moments of betrayal, the swordswoman's face had assumed a frozen mask with an expression that straddled the line between tranquil and grim.

The woman's closest friend had just been riddled with bullet holes and then left to die by his assailants, and there she was keeping her head in an exemplary manner. Doing what she could do to help, no hysterics or anything. Tashigi wasn't sure what to think of it, but she did wish rather enviously that she had had the other's self-control.

"They are all hurt but he's in the worst state. We're going to have to get him down to sick bay and operate. Help me get them below, quickly!" the doctor barked. Tashigi relayed the orders to the others, and they moved the wounded below deck, leaving behind the dregs of a spent battle.

* * *

_They were all gathered in her room, the ones who had travelled with her. The other adults from the dojo. Her father._

"_Kuina..." Her father had risen to his feet and was looking at her, an expression on his face that she had never seen, yet she instinctively knew what it meant. _

_Without saying a word, she turned around and ran. He called after her, but she clapped her hands over her ears and just kept running and running. As far as her feet could carry her. As far away as she could from that house over which death now hung._

_She did not want to — no, she could not — just stand there and listen to her father telling her that — that ... **thing** lying there covered in the white sheet was her Oka-san. _

_Those of the living will recognize the touch of death gods*, even if they have never felt it affect in their lives before. And instinctively, they flee from it._

* * *

Kuina stormed out of the sick bay, splattered with blood. The first thing she did after taking several deep, calming breaths, was to lean over the side of the ship, and be violently sick. Tashigi followed suit.

They hadn't dared to ask about the details, but the doctor hadn't been willing to commit to any information about chances of the casualties pulling through. Well, other than snapping about not "bothering him with chances of survival or they'd guarantee it'd be zero". It was a none-too-subtle instruction to leave and let him get on with his work. Given the doctor was usually unfailingly polite to anyone of the fairer sex, he must have truly been under a lot of stress.

Tashigi felt drained. Their trip to the City of Dreams had turned into a nightmare. Captain Smoker still hadn't returned and was now missing. Their ship had been raided, their prisoner killed, and the only other officer on board was not in a condition to do anything.

And so Tashigi alone was left in command of the ship, and the weight of the responsibility was crushing her. She would have been happy to have even Briggs around now, but he was still off on that mission for Captain Smoker. Nevertheless, she had to make arrangements for search parties for Captain Smoker and the Straw-Hats, oversee the restoration of the upper deck and direct the containment of Mr. 11's corpse until they decided what to do with it. She couldn't fall apart now.

With a start Tashigi realized that sometime during her planning Kuina had disappeared below deck. Probably to change out of the bloodied clothes. Good idea, she should probably do the same.

The first thing she saw when she entered her room was the pile of marine uniforms that had been flung onto Kuina's bed. The second thing was Kuina herself, and this was what made Tashigi do a double-take.

The swordswoman had discarded her soiled marine attire and was once against resplendent in the magnificent gray silk kimono Tashigi had first seen her in. She had also extracted her parasol-sword from where it had been stored, and was checking it as if in preparation for battle. In fact, her face was heavily painted, and while not exactly garish, the way it was applied made one think of war-paint.

"Kuina?" she said curiously. "Where are you going?"

There was no answer, Tashigi noted with some alarm. Kuina's face was still frozen in the same mask of tranquil grimness. It was then when Tashigi realized that it Kuina hadn't been taking what had happened so well after all. She'd simply delayed her reaction to it until it was prudent to do so.

A look at her face convinced Tashigi of the futility of trying to stop her. The glimpse of fury she had seen was enough to tell her if she attempted to get in her way, she, Tashigi probably wouldn't last very long. The girl was baying for blood.

"Kuina, wait!"

The other woman paused on her way out, but remained silent. It struck Tashigi that Kuina had not uttered a single sound since the moment they'd rushed back to ship and discovered their people utterly massacred. "I know what you're planning to do. I'm not going to stop you but..." she rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a baby den-den mushi, "take this with you, report in if you find Captain Smoker or see anything."

Kuina paused, her face still a stony mask.

"He's missing. _Please_."

There was no love lost between them, but she nodded and accepted the little snail. They both regarded each other for a moment, then the swordswoman turned and headed for the door.

"Tashigi," the word was so softly spoken that Tashigi could barely hear them. "Thank you."

There was a long pause before Kuina finally spoke again. And what she said next was so unlike what Tashigi's image of other swordswoman would say that it stunned the warrant officer.

Tashigi was still staring in surprise when the avenger disappeared with an ominous rustle of watered silk.

* * *

"_Kuina..." _

_His daughter was still kneeling before the grave. The incense burned, sending wisps of of scented smoke into the air. They had whispered it was strange that she hadn't even cried during the funeral. "So unemotional, that child." _

_After the funeral, she'd gone straight to the dojo, and broken several shinai and a practice dummy within the ensuing hour. Koshiro had thought it best to let her get it out of her system, but now it was going too far. She had not spoken for a week. Not since Kujaki's death._

"_Kuina... please say something." He placed a hand upon his daughter's shoulder. "Your mother wouldn't have wanted you to grieve like this, Kuina."_

_Still, only the slow crumbling of the incense stick burning broke the silence. He understood and sat down next to her, noting that it apparently needed more time._

_It was hours later when he finally heard her voice. The words were so softly spoken he could barely hear them._

"_I can't... even... cry... for Okaa-san," her shoulders were shaking. _

"_It's all right to cry," he told her. "Life is a fragile thing."_

"_She said I had to be strong! So I w... won't cry. I'm going to become a great swordswoman and win every match I fight. And I'll be good enough to become the head of the dojo. Just like she said I could be. _

_"I am never losing again. I don't want to lose... anyone... anymore."_

_Koshiro nodded to himself, and did not tell her that she had left out the word "to" between "lose" and "anyone"._

* * *

She knew what she was doing was foolish and reckless. Ichii-san would not have approved. Captain Smoker would not have approved.

But right now Kuina was so upset and angry she didn't care. This took precedence over everything, over finding Captain Smoker, over finding Straw-Hat, even over reclaiming her sword from Zoro.

_Gunned down from the behind..._ Her face darkened at the memory of what could very well have been his last words. They'd taken his gloves as a trophy. The thought of it made her her sick, but it was their mistake. She had them now.

With some effort she forced herself into comparative calm as she strained to listen for the sound of black leather with iron knuckles. It couldn't be that common.

It took a while, but there, in the distance, it called. She moved towards it.

The people of Rainbase were accustomed to seeing finely dressed individuals on the way to gamble at the casino. No one paid her any undue attention. The fact that she wasn't even going towards the direction of the Rain Dinners casino did not seem to register with them.

* * *

He was never going to be able to live this down. That was of course, presuming that he was actually going to live.

Captain Smoker sat cross-legged in the sea-stone cage, acutely aware that it had been a moment of rank stupidity that had resulted in the sad situation he had found himself in: trapped in the clutches of a pirate, together with another group of pirates. The same group of pirates he had been chasing, actually, to add insult to injury.

On one hand, revelations were coming in thick and fast. Straw-Hat was not allied to Sir Crocodile. In fact, the mastermind behind all this had been none other than the Shichibukai himself. Princess Vivi had hired the Straw-Hat pirates to keep Crocodile from overthrowing the Alabastan monarchy (Well pitting pirate against pirate was like fighting fire with fire, he supposed).

On the other hand, none of this was going to make any difference, because he wasn't going to be able to get any of this information out. And the blasted turncoat-pirate-turned-traitor Crocodile, was gloating about it. Smoker had enough experience to know that the man was as cunning as they came. He had to have been supremely confident in his own abilities, for he was openly outlining to his victim how he was going to cover up the entire incident and arrange for the marine's death.

Smoker bristled. In any other situation, it would have been an evenly matched-level between the two logia users... if it weren't for the damned fact that he was in a damned Kairouseki cage which damned well meant that all Crocodile had to do was flood the room and he'd be damned helpless and _dead_.

Drowned in the middle of a lake on a desert island suffering from four years' drought. There was a certain irony there.

The worst part was the realisation no one in his crew knew where he was. The men and Tashigi would have lost sight of him in the headlong rush into the casino. The chances of them finding him down here were slim to nonexistent. Suddenly all those complaints of Tashigi about his recklessness really made sense. And goddamnit, he'd gone and left Briggs back in Nanohana doing reconnaissance, so no chance of help from _that_ quarter either.

Not that it would have done any good. Smoker was sure no one else under his command would be able to match the level of a warlord like Crocodile. At least not yet.

Tashigi, Piers and that girl Kuina. A whole generation of young hopefuls. All brimming with potential, but still way too underdeveloped. He had truly meant to whip them into shape to become great marines. Not just powerful, but with thinking heads on their shoulders. Marines who didn't just follow orders blindly but actually understood the justice they stood for. Marines who would stand fast against the corruption of power and prestige. Marines who wouldn't sideline their Justice and kowtow to the World Nobles just because that was the way it had always been.

Smoker hated the hypocrisy that plagued the upper ranks of the marines right now. He despised the higher-ups woh stooped to making deals with criminals like Crocodile... look where that had gotten them. The pirate was planning to betray the World Government (and he wasn't even surprised at this) and openly laughing about it, and all he, Smoker was going to be was a footnote casualty in said warlord's report.

But he was not called the White Hunter for nothing. A hunter knows to be patient, and a good hunter does not give up so easily. And so Smoker sat, watched, and waited for an opportunity to turn the tables.

* * *

Things were going pretty well, reflected the Baroque Works agent.

They had managed to off that useless Mr. 11, and other than the initial trouble, their superior numbers had ensured that the marines wouldn't be a problem any longer. And now, in the coup to end all coups, they'd managed to get their hands on the traitor officer agent who had turned out to be the princess of Alabasta. Best of all, she was without her bodyguard flunkies.

Of course, being an officer agent meant that she wasn't a pushover either, but as they had demonstrated in the case of storming the marine ship, superior numbers meant zerging* was a perfectly viable strategy. So while she put up a pretty mean fight with her little jeweled slashers, a rear attack while her attention was occupied fighting off attackers, and an introduction to the butt-end of a rifle was quite enough to subdue her.

What he hadn't been expecting was the appearance of an exotically-dressed woman with a parasol in the midst of the action.

She was an unwanted addition, an unnecessary complication to the plan. But before he'd even managed to 'advise' her that she should turn around and leave and pretend that she saw nothing, she spoke first.

"Where did you get those gloves?"

"These gloves?" said the agent in confusion.

"The knuckle-dusters, dumbass," his partner pointed out. "The ones you took from the guy who broke Melly's nose."

Then it clicked. "Oh, you mean these gloves?" The Baroque Works agent smiled, crackling his knuckles. "So you're connected to that troublesome marine officer we took care of?"

"Oh, that chicken-hearted blue-vest guy? He wasn't so tough," said the second agent mockingly. "Squealed pretty loud while we were breaking his arm, didn't he, that boxing bas—"

He never finished the sentence.

* * *

"_The Sky Islanders call it Mantra," Ichii-san explained. "An old Shandorian word, I believe. It is the ability to tell by the sounds a person's body makes— no... by their presence alone, where they are, and though you cannot see them, what they are thinking and even planning to do."_

"_Forgive me Ichii-san," Kuina said uncertainly. "But this sounds a little far-fetched. I can see how the movement of the body makes sounds and how we could possibly predict what comes next with practice, but thoughts?"_

"_This ability is not considered common." Ichii-san continued, ignoring her question. "In fact, they believe that it is a talent confined to a gifted few. But I believed otherwise and proved them to be mistaken. It has naught to do with talent. It is about ambition, and how you listen."_

"_But..."_

"_See? You are not listening. You are only listening to what you want to hear, and then ignore the rest."_

_There was a pause._

"_I apologize, Ichii-san."_

"_Good. You need to learn to listen, Kuina. Because we, who have been bereft of our sight, have a vast advantage over all those who might seek to learn Mantra. Normal people are too focused on what they see. Being unable to see, we focus on our other senses, especially sound*. As such, our ears are more attuned to hearing what would pass for silence for other people: and that is the very essence of Mantra._

_"Unless they block their sight, even those people who have an inborn talent for Mantra will not have as much ease of mastering it as a little blind girl from a quiet village."_

_Ichii-san paused, as if lost in thought. Then she spoke again._

"_I will be honest with you, Kuina. Even with our advantage, there is no easy way to learn to tap into Mantra. I have heard rumours that it sometimes can be triggered much more quickly by mental shock or trauma, but the only reliable way that I know of is simply what I have been teaching you."_

"_You had me listening to the cloth because...?"_

"_If you can tell what cloth it is by just its sound, do you not think you could learn to predict what your opponent is going to do by the sound of their movement, even movements of the spirit?"_

_The idea was stunning. A little fantastical, even._

_But if Ichii-san believed it... Kuina let her mind go blank and listened to the sounds of the quiet village. Then she realized that there was never quite silence after all. In the distance someone was whetting a scythe to harvest the rice, and she could hear it even though the barn was some distance away. If she tried really really hard, she could almost hear the sound of boys training in the dojo of her father._

_She opened her eyes._

"_I understand, Ichii-san. But I have barely begun to be able to use this sense."_

"_What I have taught you is not Mantra, Kuina," Ichii-san said decisively. "I have merely shown you where the door exists. For the rest of it and beyond, you can only learn on your own."_

* * *

With the Baroque Works agent's last taunt, something had snapped within her. And the seething blinding rage burst into a roaring flame.

"A sudden mental shock or trauma", Ichii-san had said.

It was true. That had been the final push that broke the last barrier that lay between her and access to the elusive realm of the unseen and unheard. Much like the suddenness of a dam giving way, the Voices rushed into her awareness. All her life they had been nothing but faint echoes of echoes, with only brief moments where she could decipher a whispered word or two.

Now? They were as clear as bells ringing in her head. The thoughts of everyone around her, their intentions, their presence... even their near futures.

She was in a state of perfect harmony with her surroundings. Time slowed to a crawl. Never had she felt so separated from the present, yet so alive.

The thoughts streamed from her enemies, and she could hear them all in concert with each other. That one was going to try and rush her from the side, the other was loading a rifle and going to aim for her head, except that he would never pull the trigger, because Koyojaku would have claimed his life by then.

It was almost like a kind of omniscience. She knew everything that was about to happen. It was laughably easy to avoid the attacks of the Baroque works agents. Even easier to cut them down and take their worthless lives.

She was dancing, happily dancing, a grotesque dance of death-dealing and blood-splattering amidst a hailstorm of Gatling bullets that came from above. Instinctively she knew that she had nothing to fear from the new arrival, and in the space of seconds, she had wiped out almost all the remaining contingent of mercenaries.

She was perfectly aware that overhead, something massive swooped, and carried off with it the girl they had surrounded earlier.

But her attention was not focused on the girl, but for the last man standing. He was shaking, shaking in fear, and she knew by the sound, that on his hands he wore a pair of black gloves. Black, with bloodied iron knuckles.

She smiled demurely, and approached him, Koyojaku deadly in her hand.

"You want the gloves? Here! Take them!" Desperately, he tugged them off and threw them towards her.

Too little, too late. Here he was assuming that she was after just the gloves. Not even close. In a single movement she had his gun reduced to scrap metal and his blood staining the gloves even further. She raised her blade. The end would be swift.

"STOP! Please, stop! It's about what I said about your friend, right? I'll admit it: I lied! I lied!"

She paused, more out of disgust at his grovelling than any desire to be merciful.

"Mercy!" begged the miserable man. "Have mercy! I'll tell you the truth! Your marine friend, he wasn't a coward, all right? He single-handedly punched out a whole bunch of our men, until we managed to get another group to sneak up from behind!"

She could hear every thought, but as the terrified scoundrel scrambled for a way to pacify her, something unexpected happened. As she read his thoughts, she realized that with her new-found ability she could also glimpse what he was thinking, and it was a memory.

"_Sheesh, you people don't give up easily, do you?" The marine officer was running towards the agent, and floored him with a single punch. Despite his unthreatening appearance, that marine was ripping through the Baroque Works ranks, knocking out agent left and right. _

_It seemed as though he was going to be victorious, when suddenly, he staggered forward as new shots rang through the air. The marines with him were falling right and left in the hailstorm of bullets._

_The agent smiled. The second wave had arrived._

"Even after we plugged him, he got up twice after being shot and kept on fighting..."

She. Could. Hear. Everything.

"_Why won't you die?" the agent was screaming. That man was insane. He was on his knees now, but without warning, he got up again, and desperately charged the nearest agent, managing to hit him in the solar plexus before collapsing._

She could hear _everything_ that had happened from his memory.

The criminal's voice was raised in a panic, several octaves higher than normal. Fear had driven all reason out of his head and he was simply yammering whatever came to mind in hopes that they would be the magic words. "We had to pump in a few more rounds before he finally went down for good!"

"_And stay down!" The sound of a gun being reloaded. And fired again for good measure._

She did not want to hear this. She did not want to know. But she couldn't block it out while that grovelling worm was reliving his memory. And she was forced to hear every bit of it.

_Having executed Mr. 11, agent paused, and smiled down at the defeated marine. "Not so tough are you now, boxing bastard?" _

"I only did it because we wanted to make sure he stayed down!"

Was there no way to make this stop? Stop! She knew from the aftermath what was coming next and did not want to witness it firsthand...

"_Nice gloves. I'll take them if you don't mind." There was a sickening crunch. "After all, you won't be needing them anymore..."_

"I... I didn't break his arm to gloat. I swear!"

Tears streaked down her cheeks, making ghastly inroads into her makeup.

_Why hadn't Ichii-san warned her that mantra could be such a terrible thing?_

"I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

The colour of rage filled the darkness that was her vision, just as the screaming voices rose to a crescendo in her head and all rational thought left her mind. Hands trembling with fury, she raised Koyojaku. In her mind she could picture every vital point in his body. And at every point where she knew it would hurt but not kill, she thrust Koyojaku into it, eliciting cries of pain from the object of her vengeance.

_Who was it who was mocking about squealing in pain now?_

But it wasn't enough. He was going to have to suffer much much more before the screaming voices in her head would be satisfied. The voices were screaming for blood. They were screaming for vengeance. And she was implacable. His voice rose into a horrified wail at each bite of the blade.

_A death of a thousand cuts! Make him beg for death! _The voices were urging. _Make him regret that he was ever born!_

The real world faded away in a fog of bloodlust. Nothing else existed for her now but the red rage, the black hate, and searing white justice that was hers to dispense. Again and again she raised her blade, and brought it down on the wretched excuse of a man.

This might have gone on infinitely. But abruptly it stopped. Breaking through the mists of her self-shrouded awareness, was the realization that someone had caught her sword hand from behind.

The voice was soft, but there was an underlying strength and authority in it.

"That is _enough_," said the new voice firmly. "He has been beaten. There is no honour in continuing." Something about it evoked the quality of the desert and the skies, and a nobility greater than her own.

For a moment she nearly struck out, resenting the newcomer's interference. But his words rang true, and the memory of her own words resonated in her mind.

_It is dishonourable for a swordsman to continue fighting against an opponent who has already been defeated._

That was right. She'd said that long long ago. Back in Shelltown. On the first day she'd met Piers.

Piers... with the name the voices began screaming again.

_Avenge him! Make them pay in blood! _

And then a quiet voice, which sounded partially like Zoro's, and partially like her father's, drowned them out of her mind: _"It is not what they would have wanted. Let it go."_

It was as if some kind of glass was cracking, and crashing down around her. As it did, she snapped back into reality, the colour of rage ebbing away.

Everything before her was splattered in red, and at her feet lay what remained of a man who had worked for Baroque Works. A whimpering man who would have been better off dead than alive.

_What had she done?_

"I couldn't stop it." She was aghast at herself. " I wanted to stop, but I couldn't stop. I couldn't stop..."

And with those words, the angry voices in her head finally stopped screaming, and fell dead silent.

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

***Chapter Footnotes:**

******[1] In his eyes so blue** = Yes, that was a Carpenters song you recognized there...

**[2] "A dog that loses should stay quiet, barking about it only makes it look more pitiful" = **This is actually said by Kuina to Zoro from one of their flashbacks.

**[3] Okaa-san = **Mother. I did use just plain "mother" at first, but it really didn't look right somehow.

**[4] Death gods =** I considered using the term 'shinigami' but somehow it reminded me so much of Bleach that I desisted.

**[5] Zerging = **This is actually gaming slang, but basically means "to attack with large numbers of weak fighters". Kind of a swarming technique, if you will.

* * *

_**Firstly... To those of you who liked Piers... I'm really really sorry to spring this chapter on you. I had planned this for a long time, so imagine my alarm reading the reviews every chapter and knowing the inevitable that was going to happen. When I started this fic I honestly didn't expect Piers to be this popular, and at one point I even considered changing the story. But then I realized I shouldn't let a character's popularity give them any sort of immunity or change their intended role, so with much trepidation I finally went through with it.**_

_**Erm... I'd also like to say thanks for the wonderful reviews. I don't know if it's just me but it seems like I really lucked out and have some of the most sophisticated readers on FFnet. I really love the quality of reviews you guys give me. Quantity is one thing, and it's all very nice and all but when it comes to you guys, I learn something new every time. Which is absolutely brilliant, so thank you.**_

_**Anyway... Here's the Q and A for the last chapter. Because there's too much to go into to post everyone's questions and answers here, and I really don't want the Q and A to be longer than the fic itself, I'm only going to post the ones that I feel other people might be interested in. In any case, I've replied to everyone in PM (If I missed anyone, I apologize).**_

* * *

_**Pom Rania: **- Piers being afraid of killing. Apparently that's a quite common thing IRL; "apparently" because I've never been in a situation where I'd have first-hand knowledge of it, but I trust the author of the book in that respect. It's just something you don't see often in fiction of any kind, but it rings true to his character. _

_**A: I'm so glad my readers seem to understand what I was aiming for. It was actually a comment of Aoihand's about Piers being "determinedly nice" that gave me the idea. I figured being a "nice guy" comes with more than just one dimensional niceness, so there had to be downsides and complications to it as well. And so here we are.**_

* * *

_**Pom Rania: **Kuina unable to sew anything but kimonos. LOL. _

_**A: I wanted to put in this scene as far back as the chapter after Loguetown, but I couldn't fit it in until now. I always thought it a bit strange people assume all tailors can automatically sew everything immediately and have it turn out perfect. Besides, Kuina only picked up sewing because she HAD to, not because she particularly enjoyed it. And being apprenticed to a kimono-maker, all she made was... well you get the point. She's a one-garment tailor. This also explains why she was never made the ship's tailor.**_

* * *

_**Sorakage Sama:** Kuina's imagination seems to be running wilder and wilder with each chapter. Now in her mind, Luffy's some kind of death note wielding shinigami wannabe? Next thing you know, in her mind the first thing he'll probably say is: "Indeed! I am Kira...Er... I mean Monkey D. Luffy."_

_**eternitybeckons : **xD! I laughed so hard at the death note reference! that was so briilliantlly placed!_

_**Pom Rania:** Death Note reference. UTTER FREAKING WIN. I literally lol'd. _

_**Baron von Nobody: **The thought of the OOCness is just to comical, and I agree, some of the parts in you story I would love to have seen in Animated form just for the comedy of it. Especially the parody of Death Note. I'm laughing right now just remembering that part._

_**A: I swear Kuina's imagination is taking a life of its own. I was writing the restaurant scene when I remembered Ace fell asleep and was mistaken for dead. Then I supposed Kuina should be astonished and the next thing I knew the Death Note scene just wrote itself.**_

_**Sometimes I do wish TOEI did Omakes like Studio Pierrot does. I envy the Naruto Shippuden omakes, they are frequently better than the episodes themselves!**_

* * *

_**Xoroth**: Once again a great chapter. I honestly believed that the scene with Zoro vs Kuina was well played for two reasons. 1) One Piece has always been more about friendship etc. and since this is a Zoro/Kuina fic he can't die yet. 2) It really gave great insight into the relationship between the two. _

_**eternitybeckons** : zoro and kuina's battle was great, and I love how you've brought out the true signifigance in their bond by having zoro get so frustrated when kuina hesitated ^-^ ( and I died again with zoro yelling at Sanji that kuina was off limites xD)_

_**A: Zoro and Kuina have a somewhat unique my-friend-the-enemy bond. It's one of the hardest relationships I've ever had to write. Right now she can't fight Zoro to the death because she feels indebted to Zoro. So her focus will be 'freeing' Zoro so she can fight him without any inhibitions again. I suppose if she kills Zoro it would have to be the end of the fic.**_

_**Oh and as someone suggested so many chapters ago, telling Sanji off for flirting with Kuina would be so something Zoro would do.**_

* * *

_**yumeniai: **GYAHAHAHA! Ace and Kuina meeting was hilarious! It makes sense, but ... _

_Hmm ... I thought the bartender heard 'Strawhat' and 'brother'? So why did Kunia only realise that they were 'siblings' until after Smoker came in?_

_**A: Oh she realized they were siblings before Smoker showed up. What she didn't realize was that Ace was a notorious pirate himself until Smoker came in and spelled out his full title and position. And then she put two and two together.**_

_**As for the Ace and Kuina meeting, there was a deleted scene that went something like this: **_

_**Ace: I'm looking for a man...**_

_**Kuina: What a coincidence, so am I.**_

_**(Pause as everyone looks at Kuina)**_

_**Ace: Whoa miss... this is really flattering, but I'm not looking for company...**_

_**Kuina: * facepalm * That came out wrong, didn't it?**_

* * *

_**yumeniai: **And that swordsman ... was Thatch? Aww, poor Zoro ... wonder how he'd react if he found out that 'that person' he wanted to fight was dead, and Luffy's brother was trying to find his murderer ... be an interesting plot twist, neh? _

_**A: Yes it is indeed Thatch. I'd already meant to put him in even before the anime expanded his role. It just made it easier. BTW, that' s a really nice idea of yours, it'd give Zoro a great motivation for hating BB in the future. Not that you need motivation to do THAT in the first place.**_

* * *

_**Anzer'ke**: Piers is an excellent character, I do hope you develop him some more. Are you planning on giving him a devil fruit later on?_

_**A: Hm, I can't think of a devil-fruit that would suit Piers, but even if I did I'm not sure if he'd be the type to want to eat it. He's extremely fond of swimming and diving and probably would think that never being able to swim again the most horrific tradeoff in the world.**_

* * *

_**Aoihand: **What's a pettanko? ^_^'' _

_**A: Oooh I should have added that to the chapter notes... erm it's someone who is modestly-endowed in the chest department and either proud or embarrassed about it. In Kuina's case, she quite happy about it, since canonically she sees having massive endowments as a hindrance when it comes to swordfighting.**_

* * *

_**Kisdota-The Freak Gamer: **BAN, NICE CHAPTER, SO IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE KUINA ACTUALLY SUFFERED FROM SOMETHING LIKE HER WEAKNESS OF BEING BLIND, I MEAN YEAH SHE COULD KILL A HYPOTHETICAL MONSTER IN A SINGLE SWIPE USING AN EVERYDAY SWORD, BUT NOW WE FIND OUT SHE CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PEOPLE LIKE A RACIST. _

_**A: Um... yeah. She can sense people's presences and voices, but she'll never be able to know what they look like.**_

_**Addendum: And it's also ridiculously painful as the author to write a description when something is observed from her point of view. I have to keep catching myself. *Sighs***_

* * *

_**Lipana: **How envious/pissed off would Kuina be if she finds out that Zoro will be currently training under Mihawk for two years?_

_**A: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most envious/PO'ed, I'd say it'd be 11.41404... give or take 0.00001 ;)**_

* * *

**_Yumi:_** [...] from now on I will officially fan-out whenever I read the chapter or watch the episode where Piers shows up. (I'm 'man' enough to admit that as soon as I read that he was wearing the black den-den-mushi, I grabbed my copy of volume fifteen and re-read the scene. XD I'm such a geek for knowing which book it's in... But ti makes me smile because I now not only know what he looks like—from your devart AND the series, but what the darling chatterbox sounds like, too!

**_A: Heheh, I enjoy doing that too ^_^. Piers is technically what people call an OC stand in. He's not a 100% OC, but I do enjoy fleshing out minor and background characters. Sometimes they're the main reason I even write fanfic._**

* * *

_**Here is an extra for reading through the Q and A this far.**_

_**It's a deleted scene from one of my earlier drafts. Even though I had fun writing it, this scene seemed to ruin the flow of the Kuina/Sanji chase/fight, and after feedback from my beta who agreed, I decided it had to go. But it seemed like a waste to just throw it away, so...**_

_**(A/N: The Sanji-is-a-prince bonus scene was originally removed from the main chapter, but I decided to put it back in to the main narrative on the rewrite.)**_

* * *

_**Bonus Deleted Scene:**_

[…] Way too well-bred and noble to be a pirate. Yet he had such loyalty to that fiendish captain. He had to be protecting someone... Was Straw-Hat such a genius at taking perfectly respectable people and ruining their lives by forcing them to become pirates under him?

_The ball was in full swing, as the ladies took turns dancing with the elegant Prince Charming. The subjects all loved their prince, for he was as handsome outside as his heart was pure. After all, on the day he was born the angels themselves had gotten together, and decided to make a dream come true, sprinkling gold dust in his hair and starlight in his eyes so blue*. _

_All was beauty and contentment, but upon this happy scene, bad news broke like a dark storm before an unprotected shore._

"_Fair Prince! Pirates! Pirates are attacking our kingdom!"_

"_Quickly! We must protect our people! To the stables!" _

_But alas, for all the valour of their men, they were no match for the evil pirate Straw-Hat Luffy!_

"_Impossible! The royal calvary has been defeated!" Panic reigned as the remnants of the army retreated._

"_Yes! I, The diabolical Straw-Hat Luffy shall now raze your pathetic little kingdom to the ground! And kill this random woman here!"_

"_Nooooo! I'll do anything to protect my people!" The noble prince came forward. "Release her! Take my life instead!"_

"_AHOOHOOHAHAHA! Just taking your life isn't enough. You really want me to spare your people, Princeling? Then serve me for life! Pledge your service to me and I promise I won't lay a hand on your people!"_

"_Noble prince! Don't do it!" The woman pleaded._

"_But I must!" Said the prince. "For our people's sake." And then he turned to the pirate. "If you will spare my people and leave this place and never come back, then I swear my utmost loyalty to your cause, Straw-Hat Luffy!"_

_Straw-Hat Luffy laughed evilly, and motioned for his men to bring the Prince on board. "It is done."_

* * *

**[1] In his eyes so blue** = Yes, that was a Carpenters song you recognized there...

_**And that's it! See you next chapter!**_


	11. Lead The Blind

**_A/N: Just wanted to give a quick announcement of thanks for all the support since last chapter. TABCF went well over the 100 review mark (a first for me, believe it or not) and also the 11,000 hits mark. I try not to judge writing quality by numbers of reviews and hits, but I quite am chuffed nonetheless because I do know the majority of those 100+ reviews were excellent, intelligent and constructive reviews. So I am grateful to my kind readers! Thanks for reading and here's to many more chapters!_**

**_

* * *

_**

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will.**

**Chapter 11: Lead The Blind**

* * *

When she left the East Blue and crossed into the Grand Line, it had been in a single-minded pursuit of the two men she had hunted for so long: Zoro and the notorious pirate known as Straw-Hat Luffy.

Yet here she was, amidst the carnage of a battlefield, and no longer with any idea of what she was doing and why she was doing it.

* * *

He had been given many honorifics and epithets, the most common being "the strongest warrior in Alabasta" and "the guardian falcon of the royal family". Before the whole rebellion had started, the country had seen him as their indefatigable champion, a fearless warrior without peer.

It might have amused the enemies of Pell the Falcon to know that this man, feared and respected for his nerves of steel and tranquil prowess in battle, did in fact have a weakness. That was, he was quite incapable of dealing with crying, sobbing girls.

Vivi-sama had discovered this at an early age and used it to her full advantage. In fact, Chaka had oft commented that if the princess of Alabasta had been anyone else but Vivi, this weakness of his might have been abused rather unbearably. Fortunately the Princess' sweet and noble nature ensured that the most it was ever exploited for was for obtaining forgiveness for her mischievous and headache-causing hijinks. Well, that and wheedling subsequent forbidden falcon-back rides across the desert (which Pell himself secretly enjoyed, although King Cobra would probably have his head on a pike for that if he ever found out).

That was in Vivi's case. The strange girl with the sword, who was the object of his earlier intervention, was another story altogether.

But as long as there was a possibility that this girl was an ally of Vivi-sama's, then it was his duty to extend his aid and protection to her.

Despite his age, he was a veteran of many battles. He knew a tragedy occurring when he saw it. He shook his head.

_Such frenzied bloodlust. And from such an unlikely source. _

When the girl had finally calmed down, or at least, stopped the frenzied, repeated stabbing of that heinous-piece-of-trash-that-had-dared-lay-a-finger-on-Vivi, he finally released his grip on her hand. As if she had been a marionette and he the only thing keeping it upright, she dropped the strange straight sword she had been holding and fell to her knees, trembling uncontrollably in a storm of sobbing.

Not the weeping, trickling-tears type of sobbing, but the tearless, raw and hurting type that only carries through in incoherent sound and unrestrained emotion. The last time he had seen someone cry that way, it had been at a town raided by desert bandits, and he had found a young girl sobbing over her mother's corpse. The memory of that horrific image had haunted him for _years_.

This girl's reaction was uncannily similar. And other than preventing her from continuing her atrociously violent and self-destructive behaviour, there wasn't really much else he could do to help her.

"Pell, is she alright?" Vivi's voice floated from the the building-top where he had left her in safety.

"She does not appear to have been injured... physically," was all he could bring himself to say. "Vivi-sama, is this one of the allies you spoke of in your letter?"

The princess shook her head. "No... I don't know who she is, but she helped me fight off those men. And strange as it sounds, I have a feeling I have seen her somewhere before."

Pell's lip twitched upwards a little in wry amusement. Two years, and the girl's habit of forgetting to divulge essential information still persisted . If there had been any suspicion that this may have not been Vivi but an imposter, it vanished then.

"At the very least, she is the enemy of our enemy, and may be of assistance. We should return to Alubarna. I should be able to carry the both of you."

"Wait no... Pell, we need to find the others and-" The princess appeared agitated now that the immediate danger was over and there was the pressing objective that had brought her to Rainbase.

But his attention was no longer centered on his princess' words, because at that moment, behind Vivi loomed a sinister figure.

"My my. How magnificent," drawled she, for it was indeed a woman clad in white leather and a matching hat. "I've never seen a human who could fly."

Her voice was sultry and yet somehow mocking. He could feel the hackles of his neck rise. Moreover the royal guard realized he had made a grave mistake in leaving Vivi behind on that rooftop. As fast as he was, the distance between the princess and her was far shorter than the distance between the princess and him. But he kept his cool, ignoring the traumatised sword-wielding girl (who appeared to be having some kind of mental breakdown, but there was not much he could do about that at the moment) and focusing his attention on the dangerous newcomer, for an opening, any opening to snatch Vivi away to safety again.

That woman was speaking again, maddening words. It was a tactical game of course. She knew he was a threat and was attempting to rile him up so that he would make a mistake. He suppressed his eagerness for her demise, even when she bragged of killing Igaram (though for a moment, he had felt a cold murderous rage well up that surprised even himself)

But he had his limits, when she abruptly impaled his beloved princess through the chest, he lost it.

And with it, he lost everything.

* * *

_"Ichii-san, I have a question," Kuina stuck her needle into the pincushion as she finished the last seam on her latest kimono. "It's about Mantra." _

_"You wanted to ask me why I waited as long as I did before telling you about it." _

_"Yes. If I had known this was what you would be trying to teach me, I might have been less of a handful in the beginning." _

_"That was important. If you hadn't learned humility, patience and self-control, I would not have chosen to share knowledge pertaining to it with you." _

_"I do not understand." _

_"Let me tell you a story: There was once a child who was born with the gift of Mantra. Such a special boy he was..." Kuina could hear the sadness in Ichii-san's voice as she said this. "Even by the standards of those gifted with Mantra he was considered exceptional, but one day... one day... through a series of unfortunate events he came to possess of one of those accursed devil fruits, and having the curiosity as was typical of a boy of his age, he consumed it and gained the powers the devil fruit offered him. _

_That devil fruit changed him in many ways, but the most profound way it affected him was in his control of Mantra. It... enhanced his Mantra capability, to the extent that he could hear the thoughts of everyone around him. Every single person in the land. All the time. And he couldn't stop. Not even if he wanted to." _

_"You mean...?" _

_"He couldn't stop," Ichii was in her monologue mode again, and ignored Kuina's interruption. "And in the end, being forced to listen to all of it drove him mad. He lost himself and ran amok, destroying everything he once held dear." _

_Kuina stayed tactfully silent. _

_"And he used to be such a sweet boy too..." There was an unbearable sadness in Ichii-san's voice. _

_Kuina couldn't bear to hear it anymore. _

_She changed the subject._

* * *

She hadn't understood why Ichii-san had wanted to tell her the story of the boy who went mad then, but now she did. Her mind was reeling from the earlier flood of awarenesses, from the unwanted glimpses into that agent's mind and her own grief and horror. She had been drowning in it, letting those voices take over. It had almost driven her to the edge of madness, and if it hadn't been for that one moment of sanity, that one human touch to pull her back into lucidity, it was hard to say how far into the darkness she would have fallen.

_"...that's out of the question."_

Why had she thought of Mantra like it was some wonderful thing? It was absolutely horrible, all those voices in her head, and her no longer in control of herself. She never wanted anything to do with it again.

_"...she did something to Igaram?"_

As she huddled in the middle of the square, surrounded by the bodies of the fallen, she struggled for control over her herself. The silence was sweet after the screaming voices in her head, and she revelled in being to hear herself think again.

_"...how is that different to what you just did to my employees? What a joke." _

It didn't last long. She was snapped out of it by yet another screaming voice.

Except this one was different. She recognized it, shrill and horrified as it was. It belonged to the one who had stopped her- the man with the soft steely voice who smelled of feathers.

"VIVI-SAMA!"

She felt the whoosh as something big, and feathery flew past and above her.

"I'LL TURN YOU INTO ARABASTAN SAND!"

The man's presence was gone from her side, and with that her shell-shocked mind made the association that the man and the flying feathery thing had been one and the same.

"V... Vice President..." The voice came from one of the scum sprawled out on the floor, whom she had previously cut down.

_Vice President._

That smug voice from that woman on the rooftop belonged to one of the leaders of that accursed organisation. Was she the one who had ordered the raid on the ship? Had she laughed the way she was doing now when she had received the confirmation that it had been done?

Her hands clenched in anger, and she was surprised to find them clutching a pair of gloves... Piers' gloves. When had she picked them up? She couldn't even remember.

The gloves were sticky to the touch with half-dried blood. Did it belong to the agent's, or Piers? Or both? Her rage, previously spent, began flaring up again. And with it, the voices in her head. She forced them down.

No. She would no longer use that accursed Mantra ability. She was going to take out this Vice President on her own hard-earned skill.

The problem was that the woman was on the top of the building, and not being in possession of whatever ability that man had, she had to get up there the conventional way: the flight of stairs at the side of the structure.

Not the most advantageous of attack positions, but what choice did she have? As silently as she could manage, she sprinted up the stone steps, as screams from the rooftop began anew.

* * *

Pell was no stranger to pain.

But right now, he knew he was fighting a losing battle against it.

Forget the back-breaking pressure on his spine, forget the strangling hands that were constricting his windpipe, choking the breath out of him. No, the one thing that made all this feel as though he was being tied to a rack and having his heart cut out alive, was knowing that Vivi was having to witness all of this.

The girl he had watched over as a little child was screaming, begging for Miss All-Sunday to stop. He wanted to tell her to run, to save herself because he could not protect her this time, but his throat was slowly being crushed and any words that he attempted to utter only escaped as unintelligible gasps.

Vivi didn't run. It was foolish of her, yet he knew her well enough that it did not surprise him at all when she chose to attack Miss All-Sunday instead. Still, he could not repress his snarl of rage when the villain simply stopped her by sprouting arms which wrapped around her ankles, bringing her crashing to the ground.

Amidst the excruciating agony off being bent almost double backwards, a flash of movement caught his eye: a grey streak of silk. The girl with the sword who had broken down earlier seemed to have regathered herself. She had reached the rooftop and was bearing down on Miss All-Sunday with astonishingly swift movement.

His tormentor did not seem aware of her approach, but he saw the flaw in the girl's attack even as she closed in.

She was attacking Miss All-Sunday with the afternoon sun to her back.

The desert sun, already low in the sky, threw her long shadow across the floor of the roof. It did not go unnoticed by the multi-armed devil-fruit user.

Just as it seemed that she would be meeting the business end of the girl's sword, the devil-fruit-replicated arms sprouted out, wrenching the straight sword the girl carried out of her hands and then forcing them painfully backwards.

"How rude," said Miss All-Sunday in response to the girl's cries of pain as her arms were twisted behind her back. More arms were sprouting out of the floor, anchoring her to the spot. A hand clamped over the girl's mouth completed the effortless capture. "Don't interrupt. I'll tend to you in a moment."

Only muffled cries from the raging swordswoman.

"Let's see... where were we, Miss Wednesday? Ah yes, your presence is required in our headquarters. Unfortunately, neither of your friends are invited."

Vivi appeared to understand her intentions.

"Submission? No!"

He could feel the pressure as she brought the heel of her palm against his chin.

"PELL!"

"CLUTCH!"

Then came the snap.

Then came the pain.

And then came the darkness.

* * *

Kuina could only cringe at the sound of cracking bone. There was a sharp cry from the Man Who Smelt of Feathers, and then the sound of a body meeting stone roof.

That multi-armed monster had just killed that man in cold blood. Just like that.

"This can't be happening. This can't be happening..." The girl who could only be the princess Vivi was no longer screaming, but whispering to herself in shock.

"Come now, Miss Wednesday. Your friends are waiting for you," the woman said callously to the girl. "In a cage in Rain Dinners."

A devil fruit user. Kuina hadn't anticipated that she would be fighting someone with such a freaky devil fruit ability, with the ability to make arms grow out of nowhere. Never before had she been made to feel so weak and useless.

"Snappy, aren't we?" said her captor when Kuina tried to bite the hand that was around her mouth. "I don't know who you are or why you are interfering, but it seems you're quite the ruthless type yourself. And judging from what you did to my employees down there, you're too dangerous to be left running around."

Kuina gritted her teeth, despite the pain. She couldn't, no, she _wouldn't_ be helpless here. There had to be some way to get free of this inhuman grasp. She wasn't going to lose to the likes of that woman, devil fruit or not.

"Well, since I've already bent Alabasta's greatest warrior into 'submission,'"-here she gave a rather self-satisfied chuckle at her own joke- "Let's exercise some creativity with you, shall we? Hmm... let's see... Ah I have it...

" ... Enjoy the trip down."

It took Kuina one horrified moment to understand what Vice-President All-Sunday intended to do. The next thing she knew, the disembodied limbs that held her in that painful pose had, in a single coordinated movement, lifted her up and flung her backwards.

Down the same flight of stairs that she had just dashed up.

As she tumbled down the frightening expanse of empty space, her arms still restrained, she couldn't help thinking how unfair it would be if she, who had worked so hard and come so far, were to die from something so trivial, something so stupid, as falling down a flight of stairs.

* * *

"Doctor-san?" Tashigi poked her head cautiously into the door of the infirmary and was relieved to see the doctor sitting at his chair, looking exhausted, as he had every right to be. "Please have some food or something to drink. You've been working non-stop."

"I could do with a coffee, in all honesty," the old man admitted.

"I thought as much." Tashigi opened the door the whole way to reveal two cups of coffee in her hands. A dark stain on her pant leg suggested that this might have not been her first attempt at bringing the beverage from the galley, though perhaps it was her first mishap-less one.

They sat in silence for a while, the doctor slowly sipping the contents of his cup.

"Should I ask about his condition?" Tashigi ventured at last.

The doctor shook his head. "I wouldn't want to jinx it, dearie."

"I see. Shall we talk about something else?"

"Yes. Where did Kuina-girl go?"

Tashigi's first instinct was to go into a rant about how Kuina had gone running off after the attackers without nary a thought to the consequences or her responsibilities, but the memory of the girl's parting words stayed her tongue.

"I... I sent her off on a mission," she managed to say at last, not knowing why she was covering for her hated rival. Perhaps her discovery of how mistaken her image of the other girl had been had shaken her. "To find Captain Smoker."

"I see. I supposed it cannot be helped. I'm rather surprised how well she seems to be handling this, though. Given her closeness to Piers I was quite concerned for her mental and emotional state but it seems that she was quite composed and capable after all."

That was what Tashigi herself had thought, and look how wrong she had been...

"You seem to be holding together pretty well too, Tashigi. That Smoker sure knows how to pick 'em. Guess you young 'uns are made of sterner stuff nowadays. Me... I'm getting too old for all this. Maybe it's time I retire and go live with my daughter."

"You have a daughter?"

"Her name is Marie, works as a nurse back in my hometown." A little smile crept into the Doctor's face as he said this. "Beautiful girl, just like her late mother. Newly engaged to a man who works near her hospital. I was hoping take leave and meet him in person if we sailed anywhere near Sabaody."

"Well, uh... congratulations. I guess that makes her age around..."

"A little older than you and Kuina (did you know you're both the same age?). I'd say she's the the same age as Pi..." with this he trailed off, the light going out of his face as the name passed his lips.

There was an awful silence as the Doctor put down his mug, suddenly tiring of the small talk, or perhaps the harsh reminder it had presented.

"Well, thank you for the coffee, Tashigi-dear. I should be getting back to work."

The door to the infirmary closed behind him, leaving Tashigi to mull over what had been left unsaid.

_The same age as Piers. _

The line of her mouth curled downwards.

_Far too young to die._

* * *

When she came to, Kuina slowly became aware that she was being cradled in a pair of arms.

In fact, she was being nestled rather unnecessarily closely to that someone, who appeared to have very heavy breathing...

"GAAAHH!" In a panic at her state of vulnerability Kuina began frantically thrashing around for her sword. The 'someone' nearly dropped her in shock.

"Ah," said he, on recovering his composure. "You're awake, my lovely lady."

It was _him_. The pirate. Why was she being carried around by the pirate? What happened?

"It's you! The pirate! Why are you carrying me around? What happened?"

"Well, you see... " the pirate said, setting her down. "I was running around looking for these friends of mine when I came across you, lying unconscious back there. And I couldn't just leave you there, so I picked you up-"

Her expression must have been one of shock, for he broke off and immediately tried to reassure her that his intentions were entirely honourable and no, he truly hadn't been planning to take advantage of her: "...was planning to drop you off somewhere where you could get some medical attention before going to look for my friends again... honestly!"

Stairs. _Again_.

At least she hadn't broken her neck this time either. She supposed it was her last-moment reaction of tucking her chin to her chest and attempting to hit the ground rolling that had saved her*, even if the impact did knock her out.

Inwardly she wondered if there was a heavenly scoreboard somewhere that read STAIRS: 2; KUINA: 0. Or maybe it should have read STAIRS: 1; KUINA: 1, since she didn't seem to have lost anything major in this rematch other than her pride. And her sword.

Speaking of which...

"Why?" she demanded of her rescuer.

"Why?" he repeated, puzzled.

"Why did you help me?"

"That's what a gentleman does for a damsel in distress, of course."

Then it hit her. The last time she'd been after the pirate she'd been dressed as a marine, and now she was in the kimono and with the makeup, he probably didn't recognise her.

"I also couldn't help noticing, you called me 'you' just now as if you recognised me. Have we met before?" His thoughts seemed to be travelling along the same lines as hers.

"I..." Kuina was torn between fabricating a lie and coming out and telling him she was the same marine who tried to capture him earlier. But this man did not act in any manner of a pirate that she imagined, and the idea of playing him for a fool niggled at her conscience. She reminded herself that this was a member of Straw-Hat Luffy's crew she was addressing.

It was at this point when the pirate, who appeared to have been looking closely at her and muttering a series of numbers (which seemed to be coming in sets of three), suddenly started and said, in a somewhat ironic echo: "IT'S YOU! The marine swordswoman!"

He'd figured it out. "Yes," she said shortly. "I'm the one who was after your captain, Straw-Hat Luffy."

"You... you... ah... that uncouth, mannerless oaf! He wasn't the one who knocked you out and left you lying there, was he?"

What was this? The man was expressing disgust at his own captain? What was going on here?

"Wait..." Kuina said slowly. "Who are you, really? You don't act like a typical pirate."

She could hear him start breathing heavily again, as if he were quite excited ("A lovely lady expresses interest in me? Mellorine!"). This lasted briefly, before he regained his composure.

"You may call me... Mr. Prince."

_Prince... _

* * *

_Straw-Hat Luffy's leer was both mercenary and calculating as he took in the desperate princess and her equally desperate plea. _

"_So... you want me to help you save your country, Princess? But it has not escaped your notice that I am a pirate, has it?" _

_"I don't care... name your price, I'll give you treasure equal to it from the royal treasury itself, but please, help my country!" Straw-Hat threw his head upwards and laughed mockingly. _

_"Dead gems and cold gold. Do you really think that's what I want? I assure you, I am no common pirate, Princess. My interest is in a different kind of treasure." _

_"What kind of treasure are you after then?" Asked the princess, her composure calm in her negotiation. _

_The evil pirate grinned. "Crew." _

_"I don't understand. You have a crew." _

_"Yes, and they are not just any ordinary crew. In fact, I have put considerable time and effort into collecting a... how shall we call it... a designer crew. Not a pirate crew comprising of common riff-raff and lowlife criminals, but instead a group of people from noble and distinguished backgrounds, all who would normally never be found gracing the decks of a pirate ship._

"_Look at those two guards for an example of what I have: that one is one of the most gifted swordsman ever to graduate from the most ancient and honoured dojo of the East Blue, and that rather dashing__-__looking one is in fact a crown prince, from one of the kingdoms I have had the fortune to subdue."_

_Straw-Hat leaned back in his chair and put his hands together gleefully. "Now that I have started adding royals to my collection, I would very much like to balance it out with the addition of a desert princess. Do you get my drift now, Princess Nefertari Vivi?"_

_"Y... You want me to become part of your crew? No... I can't! I can't just sail off! I have responsibilities, I need to save my country!"_

"_Now, now__,__ princess... I am not an unreasonable man. I will help you save your country from the rebellion. In return, you promise me that once all is well in your home country, you will say your goodbyes and willingly sail away as an obedient member of my very fine, very classy crew... your type of royalty will keep your word, I'm sure. _

_"__Or you can refuse and let your countrymen tear themselves apart, I don't mind that either way." _

_"I have no choice." _

_"No you don't. Do we have a deal?" _

_Minutes later, the guard who was once a prince led the princess to what would be her quarters. _

_"Prince... How can you bear it?" __s__obbed the princess. _

_"I bear it because I must," said the noble prince. "But have no fear, dear Princess Vivi, for we who suffer under that tyrant's rule have a plan to win back our freedom." _

_Hope dawned in her face, like the dazzling night stars in the desert sky. "A plan?" _

_"Yes we have a plan," said the prince, the stars crowning his head where his real crown should have been. "Will you trust me?" _

_"I will trust you," said the princess to the prince. _

* * *

Somehow, her earlier suspicions were proving to be true. For some reason the Straw-Hat pirates appeared to comprise of otherwise respectable individuals who must have been blackmailed into joining the crew. Was it possible that the men under Straw-Hat resented him and would jump on any chance to be free from his tyranny as well?

And more importantly, could she, Kuina, find a way to take advantage of this resentment?

"You... are you just like that other girl, the princess Vivi?" she asked the prince. "Huh? What do you... wait! You know Vivi? Do you know where she is?"

"I encountered the princess earlier. She was captured by a woman with a strange ability. The princess called her 'Miss All-Sunday'. She was taken to somewhere called 'Rain Dinners'."

Mr. Prince was silent for a while. "My poor Vivi-swan! I am coming!" With this he turned and began to move, when she called out to him again.

"Prince-san! Wait! Tell me the truth! Are all of you under Straw-Hat... are you all trying to overthrow that evil pirate yourselves? Does it have something to do with what's going on in this country, and that criminal organization, Baroque Works?"

Sanji started. "You seem to know a lot, Miss...?"

"My name is Kuina ("Kuina-kwun!* Such a lovely name!"). Yes it's true I am a marine, but in truth I want to stop that evil pirate and Baroque Works as well. Please, let me fight with you."

This seemed to send the prince into further transports of delight. "I would be honoured to fight alongside Kuina-kun. And as it turns out, I do have a plan..."

* * *

"Are you quite done, Miss Wednesday?" Crocodile drawled as he took another sip of wine.

The way he said it, anyone would have thought he was asking if the princess was done with dinner, not her repeated attempts to behead him with her jewelled slashers.

Smoker had been surprised to recognise Crocodile's helper when she had entered with the defiant princess in tow. Nico Robin. She had been one of the highest bounty heads in her time (well, for one so young anyway). What was she doing here in the service of that man? Was that how she had managed to elude capture for so long?

All this was running through the marine captain's mind as they witnessed the sadistic warlord forcing the girl to choose between escaping, or freeing her accomplices by retrieving the key to the cage. An impossible task for her, as he had deliberately dropped it into the cage of giant banana-crocodiles. Plucky and determined she might be, it was pointless to hope for her to fight the creature and win. Beside him, Roronoa had his sword in hand and had unwedged its habaki, but Smoker knew that the weapon would be useless in getting them out and the famed swordsman was just as helpless as the rest of them.

Outwardly he remained calm, but the observant bystander might have noticed that he was biting into his cigars rather viciously.

* * *

"...Yes sir. In front of the Rain Dinners casino."

"Right. All we have to do now is wait," said Sanji to Kuina, after he had knocked out the Baroque Works agent who had been forced to speak on the den-den mushi.

"Are you sure your friend will be all right, Prince-san?"

"Don't worry. He's very capable."

"He sounded a little... young."

"He's really very mature for his age, Kuina-kun."

"Well, he really is a brave boy to be doing this."

In the distance, a commotion could be heard as Chopper pounded on the last of the agents.

"That's our cue."

Kuina nodded at him as her face took on a very demure, lady-like expression that nearly had him mellorining in delight. Fortunately, everyone in the casino was too busy ogling at the the august presence of the owner, the Warlord Crocodile, to take any notice of the couple that had just walked in.

Neither did Crocodile himself. He was too busy going after 'Mr. Prince' while issuing threats of death.

As Sanji strode regally into the casino, looking absolutely snappy in fine suit and shades, he couldn't help grinning. Yes, his friends were in danger and yes, they were going up against an insanely powerful Shichibukai who was likely out of their league, but hot damn, did it feel good to be doing this in style: coming to their rescue with a gorgeously-dressed woman hanging on to his arm.

In fact, the only thing that could have made all this even better would have been if Zoro had been there to see him.

* * *

Five minutes later, on finding Vivi and learning what had happened to the crew, Sanji grinned once more.

Kuina-kun had been helpful in sinking the bridge leading to the casino to delay Crocodile's return, and had managed to do it so discreetly no one was even sure what happened.

"You... you're that swordswoman from earlier!" Vivi was saying to Kuina.

"Yes, you are the princess of Alabasta are you not? I'm a friend of Zoro's and I'm here to help."

"T... Thank you!"

"Come ladies, we must be off to the rescue!"

This just kept getting better and better. In fact, the only thing better than making an entrance with a gorgeously-dressed woman hanging on one arm was making an entrance with a gorgeously-dressed woman hanging on EACH arm.

* * *

Kuina had been quite astonished at Prince-san's combat prowess. It was clear that in their previous engagement, the Prince had been holding back by a lot.

First there was the effortless way he had levelled the Baroque Work guards (although upon reflection, she did have a recollection of him wiping the floor with the rest of her squadron). But when he had kicked that beast (which according to the Princess was a crocodile of giant proportions) clear into the air, she was duly impressed.

"That shitty guard was such a nuisance," said Prince as he kicked another giant crocodile across the room.

"I'm just glad he had a sword on him, even if it is a cheap mass-produced affair," Kuina replied as she sliced the nose-tip off another that had attempted to flank them. Fortunately the curvature and weight of the swords the Alabastans used* (which was halfway between that of a sabre and a scimitar) was not too different from that of a katana, so she had gotten the hang of the weapon fairly quickly. "Save me some, Prince-san."

"WHY ARE YOU CALLING HIM A PRINCE?" came an irritated cry from the cage.

"Zoro!"

"Why is the marine girl here?" a very panicky female voice was screaming from the same direction. _Someone_ at least managed to see through her change of attire.

"GOOD JOB, VIVI! … Eh, who's the kimono-san?"

"NAMI-SWANN! DO YOU LOVE ME?"

"Watch out! More of the crocodiles are coming in!" was the princess' panicked warning. Another crocodile was sent flying across the room in short order as the babble of voices got steadily messier and messier.

"Kuina! Get the third one that just entered the room!"

"Smoker-taichou! You're here? Tashigi-san was... we've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Never mind that! Get the third one, it has the key to this cage!"

Kuina decided that it was probably best not to ask how her captain had ended up in a cage. She was already going to have to explain later why she was in the company of a pirate- she really shouldn't be digging herself any deeper. Instead, she focused her efforts on getting the key out of the crocodile.

She wasn't expecting that she and Prince-san would have to have to resort to using the key made by the mysterious man who had been trapped inside the crocodile in the end, but this was honestly one of the least strange things that had happened to her all day.

* * *

Smoker was glad to be out of the cage. Fortunately the girl Kuina wasn't asking how he had ended up in it, which was a good thing. If any of the crew and in particular Tashigi or Briggs got wind of it, he wasn't sure if all the glowering in the world would keep them breaking down in laughter.

Kuina seemed more concerned at having been seen working together with a pirate, and under normal circumstances this would have been a rather serious thing indeed, but at the present, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"Smoker-taichou, I know what you're thinking... I can explain- I found out something important about these pirates-" began Kuina.

"Explain later, we need to get out of here firs-"

Crack.

_Those idiots._

While he had been busy speaking to his subordinate the rest of the pirates, including the mysterious 'Mr. Prince' (whom the hyper-aware captain noted had sensed Kuina's distress and was now tactfully distancing himself from her) had gone and slaughtered the rest of the crocodiles. And like idiots with no restraint, they had added so much damage to the already damaged underwater tunnel that it was cracking.

Actually, it was collapsing.

He had barely enough time to utter a single, heartfelt swear word right before everything was washed away and he was helpless once more.

If he lived through this, he was definitely never going to hear the end of it. Briggs, in particular, would be sure to crow.

* * *

Too late she remembered that Captain Smoker couldn't swim.

Yes, she wanted to stop Straw-Hat and save Zoro, but in this situation her priorities were clear. In the chaos of the rushing water, she did the only thing she could do: reach out and attempt to grab Captain Smoker before the water washed them all away.

It was close, but just as the water swept her off her feet, her hand closed around an arm. It was limp and unmoving. A devil-fruit user was rendered unable to move by the water...

She held on tight and wished, with all her heart, that she had taken the time to improve her swimming. The water was everywhere, she couldn't tell up from down and she was being mercilessly smacked around along with the debris in the room.

"_If you keep your lungs full of air you won't sink..." _Unbidden, Piers' voice echoed in her head.

Don't panic. Don't scream. Hold your breath and try to figure which way is up. Surely the pirates could swim? Where were they? Could she follow their sounds to find the way out?

How could anyone sense anything in this mess? She couldn't hear anything that made sense. The water was distorting the sound too much and if she didn't find the surface soon she and Captain Smoker were going to drown.

With an effort she fought down the urge to breathe.

Seconds dragged on.

_Where was the surface?_

She was going to drown.

They were all going to drown.

She could feel her consciousness start flitting away as her air-starved mind began to give up.

_She was so tired..._

In desperation at her impending death, the voices in her head, previously suppressed, returned in full force.

* * *

One moment, the underwater sounds had begun fading away. The next, everything suddenly became clear as she once again, became acutely aware of the voices everything around her.

Zoro, Prince-san and the rest of the pirates had swum out through the breach in the tunnel. They had probably reached the surface by now.

She didn't have enough air or strength to follow them. Her only chance lay straight upwards. No time to think. Just act. Re-orientating herself, she began kicking towards the surface.

Air had never tasted sweeter.

* * *

Captain Smoker came to with the realisation that he was lying on his back on the stone-flagged streets near the Rainbase lake.

He was soaked, which meant his last memory hadn't been some kind of sick delusion.

_Unbelievable._

As the feeling came back to his limbs (he absolutely hated being submerged) he rolled over and coughed out the last of the water that had been in his lungs.

"Why did you save him, Zoro?"

"Shut up, I didn't want to."

_Saved by... pirates. Unbelievable._

What the hell was going on? And where was that girl Kuina?

* * *

Kuina reflected that this time, that accursed Mantra had saved her life.

She didn't have time to marvel at it, because it had also made her aware that the arm she had grabbed hadn't been Captain Smoker's. The person she had saved had been the strange wax-man who had produced the false key to the cage.

In her disappointment she tossed him onto a rather floaty piece of wreckage before taking a moment to catch her breath and regain control over herself.

The voices in her head were back. But to her surprise, they seemed easier to control this time around. As she forced herself to calm down and focus, she found that she could block out the presences of the people in the casino whom she wasn't interested in and focus on the ones she was after.

She knew, with devastating certainty, that Captain Smoker had been dragged outside with the rest of the pirates.

Normally she would have no fear for the Captain. He would be more than capable of taking all of the pirates at once. But things were a little bit more complicated this time: first there was the whole forced servitude situation with Prince-san and Zoro. And then Straw-Hat was with them, which meant that the crew would have to obey their captain. _Her_ captain on the other hand, was currently helpless in the water and if Straw-Hat got it into his head that this was a great opportunity to get rid of the marine...

No... not Captain Smoker. She had lost Zoro to that evil mastermind, but damned if she was going to let the same happen to her captain! Surely she could do something?

It was then when she remembered she had a baby den-den mushi (which was coughing in disapproval after the soaking).

Thanks to the virtue of Piers' drilling, she remembered how to use the little device. She dialed the number she had been given.

* * *

"Puru-Puru-Puru..."

"Tashigi!"

"Kuina?"

"Captain Smoker... I know where he is!"

"You do? Where?"

"The lake... I tried to get to him but I wasn't fast enough and we both got washed away-"

"WHAT! He can't swim... he'll drown!"

"I know that! You need to send some men to find him-"

"Which lake is it? Where are you? I need a name, Kuina! Or a description! What does that place look like?"

The den-den mushi took on a rather exasperated-looking expression.

"HOW SHOULD I KNOW? How many lakes are there here? All I know it's under the casino... Rain Dinners! Just get your men there, I need to go try save him now!"

There was a click, and the den-den stopped transmitting, leaving a rather stunned Tashigi still staring at the snail.

* * *

"Excuse me, may I borrow your den-den mushi?"

The voice seemed to have come out from nowhere.

The owner of the Nanohana telegraph office jumped in shock. He had been sure he had been alone in the empty office just a moment before.

The streets had emptied in the wake of the madness that had been the King and his 'confession', and he himself had checked that the door had been shut and locked. Although he had left the window ajar so he could see the view of the harbour, he was very sure that if anyone had entered, he would have noticed.

Especially if it was someone as tall as this man. He towered above the telegrapher by almost two heads, and his gaunt frame made him look even taller. He was dressed in what might have been a fine blue serge suit, had it not been suffering from multiple rips and tears in several places.

"How did you get- what happened to _you_?" asked the owner curiously.

The man's answer was flippant. "Ran into a thorn bush. Nothing to worry about... now about that den-den mushi?"

"Well, actually, we're closed."

"It's an emergency," insisted the outlander, for he was definitely not Alabastan, although he bore an air of experience and familiarity that was unlike the actions of those who had never been to the desert island before.

The telegrapher shrugged and let him have the snail and receiver. What with their King turning against them and the Royal Army and Rebels about to clash, the country was going to hell in a hand-basket anyway. One call wasn't going to make a difference.

* * *

"Puru-Puru-Puru..."

Tashigi snatched up the den-den mushi. "Kuina!"

But the den-den's face had taken on a sour and harassed expression instead.

"No, it's Briggs here."

"Briggs, where are you?"

"Nanohana. Telegraph office by the docks, I had to use their den-den mushi, the baby one I have just doesn't have the range. Where's Captain Smoker?"

"Smoker-san's missing."

"WHAT?"

Tashigi had to hold the den-den mushi about a foot away from her ear, Briggs had yelled so loudly.

"He went chasing after Straw-Hat Luffy and disappeared. We haven't found him."

There was what sounded to be a disapproving and furious sputtering on the other end of the phone.

"Running off without a word... they're the same, all of them!" Tashigi could barely make out the angry muttering. "I was going to report in to Smoker before I did a bit more snooping around. Hell, I was going to tell him not to waste his time chasing down those Straw-Hats. They're just small fry, as in the real problem is going to be here in Nanohana, no... make that Alubarna. As in the capital. The place is about to boil over with this whole rebellion thing, and I'm pretty damn sure it's no coincidence that that dodgy organization - Baroque Works, is involved... "

"Wait, why are you telling me all this?"

"Tashigi, I _presume_ he left you in charge. "

"Yes..."

"Then tell me you haven't been sitting around twiddling your thumbs and panicking."

"I was getting search teams out looking for Smoker-san."

"That's a start. Also, I forgot to mention – this thing is bigger than what we first thought it was. Whatever is behind that Baroque Works organization, it's big. As in... they've got some seriously heavy backers. Make sure you leave a heavy guard with that prisoner we got at Runes, and make sure someone really strong is with them. As in that blind girl or yourself. Not that backwater fisherman..."

She could feel her stomach turn to stone. Too late.

"What's wrong now?" Evidently Briggs could sense it too.

"The prisoner is dead..." She gulped. "We were attacked earlier and... Officer Piers was..."

"Was he killed?" There was a sharp tone from Briggs she had never heard before.

"Not quite... but... it's bad..."

She could hear Briggs swear in language best left undocumented. "Damn that Smoker! Of course this was bound to happen! I knew it! You can't give a pair of knuckle-dusters and a few lessons to someone like him and expect them to turn into a one-man army overnight! That backwater fisherman can't fight his way out of a paper bag ... Tell me you at least got the bastards who did it?"

"I... well... Kuina went after them..."

"Of course she did. Has she reported back?"

"Act- Actually, she just called to say she knew where Smoker-san was..."

"Then be competent and send your men there! _WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?"_

"I just got the info seconds before you called me!"

She was still in the middle of snapping out her reply she heard a sudden disturbance in the background.

"...What the hell is that now?" That was definitely Briggs' voice.

"Briggs?" She asked uncertainly.

"...what's wrong with that ship?"

The sounds from the den-den sounded as though they were coming from a distance from away now.

She could still hear Briggs' voice, seemingly directed at the people in the telegraph office.

"...it's going to plough into us. Take cover! Sh-"

There was a deafening crash, and the sound of metal scraping against splintered wood and shattered stone. And then... silence.

"BRIGGS? WHAT'S GOING ON? BRIGGS?"

There was no answer.

In fact, it was clear there was no longer anyone manning the den-den mushi on the other end, because the little device stopped transmitting, yawned, and went back to sleep.

* * *

The name of the plan was Operation Utopia. And with the precision of an elite strike team, the top tier agents of Baroque Works had pulled off the first stage successfully. A false confession by an imposter of the king had been engineered before a town of witnesses. The rebel leader had been shot and the town set aflame, thus enraging the ranks of the already bloodthirsty rebels.

And then, a great ship, with apparently no one at the helm, had crashed into Nanohana harbour, levelling a good portion of the docks.

Later, the members of the Rebellion would find that the ships had been filled with much-needed weapons and supplies for their war effort. Some called it fate, or a gift from an unknown ally to the Rebellion, as with their timely (if unexpected) arrival, Alubarna would be sure to fall into their hands.

As for many of the unfortunates who were caught near the docks and perished in the crash, they were just the first casualties of a greater war that was to come.

* * *

On the surface it would seem as though the plan had gone off without a flaw, but in truth there had been some minor hiccups.

Like the earlier witness who had noticed that Mr. 2 had the ability to copy the King's face, which in turn had necessitated some silencing to be done by the Mr. 1 pair.

Which in turn had led to another minor hiccup, but this one was a little more puzzling. In fact, even after the encounter was over, and the two topmost agents had left that assignment and moved on to the next, they continued to talk about it.

"Damnit, that stupid okama screwed up. We're lucky it was just a kid that spotted him..." Mr. 1 was not pleased. "...well, the kid and that other thing..."

"Never seen anything appear and disappear like that before," said Miss Doublefinger as she settled into the carriage seat. "Still... what do you suppose it was? A freak mirage?"

Mr. 1 only shrugged.

"I wouldn't worry too much. It was probably coincidental, it didn't get involved much, and we left that boy was in such a bad state he won't be talking anytime soon, if he lives," said Miss Doublefinger. "As for that other thing, it doesn't matter. Once the Mr. 4 pair get the job done, we're all set anyway."

"You mean, after the Mr. 4 pair are done, there won't even be anyone important left to make a difference," said Mr. 1.

* * *

The sun was low in the sky as the end of the day drew near. The proprietor of the inn, a jolly, fat ball of a man who loved watching the sun set over the desert, was sitting at the threshold of the door engaging in his favourite activity.

The streets had grown quieter since the whole rebellion thing. But the land was old, and the innkeeper was confident that no matter what happened, the country would survive, civil war or no. Life had to go on, after all, and in Rainbase, which lived in denial of reality, the war was a distant matter, something you read about in papers.

He watched lazily as an exotically-dressed young woman went stumbling past in some sort of panic. As she disappeared from sight and into the distance, he shrugged. Probably lost heavily in the casino and was rushing off before the creditors came a-hounding. This was a common thing to happen.

What he did not expect to see next was a man, bloodied and limping, moving down the street. In fact, as the figure drew nearer the innkeeper was startled to recognise him as none other than THE Pell the Falcon, Royal Guard and greatest warrior in Alabasta.

At the present he did not look very great, for his white and purple robe was matted with dirt and blood, and his painted face was likewise soiled. He moved as though he was in great pain, leaning heavily on his sword as he walked. But despite all this the man moved with great purpose.

The innkeeper also noticed that he had something tucked under his arm, and he was surprised to note that it was a parasol. It seemed rather out of keeping with his image of a desert warrior.

"You are Pell 'the Falcon', are you not?" the innkeeper called out. "Are you all right?"

"Have you seen... the Princess Vivi?" was the warrior's disjointed reply.

"Not for years since her last public appearance," the befuddled man managed to say. "Excuse me for saying this, Pell-sama, but you look like you have been in a great battle, perhaps you need some help-"

The royal guard cut him off. "My condition is of no concern. If you have not seen her, perhaps you have seen another? With dark hair (here the innkeeper looked at Pell's own head of brown hair), slender build (his eyes took in the warrior's compact frame), dressed in a long, pale, robe, (the innkeeper wondered if white and purple could be considered 'pale') and with a painted face (all right, this was getting to be too much. Perhaps Pell-sama had had some sort of head injury...)?"

The warrior had said this seriously without any trace of irony, but the innkeeper couldn't help but wonder if this was meant to be some sort of trick question. Then he remembered.

"If you meant a girl answering to that description, she ran past not a few minutes ago."

"You are certain?"

"Most certain." Fortunately the person in question he was looking for could only be the woman he had seen run past earlier. "She went that way." He pointed in the direction she had gone.

Much to his surprise, the wounded man (for the innkeeper could see now that the famed hero was indeed horribly injured) seemed to regain some measure of strength on hearing this, and was off in the direction faster that a man in his condition had any right to be going.

He shrugged. This was turning out to be a rather odd kind of day.

* * *

Kuina wasn't sure if she had heard it right.

She'd run out of the casino (fortunately everyone was still too shocked at the collapsed bridge to pay attention to her soaked self) and after some difficulty in bridging the water to the mainland, had raced around the lake in search of her captain and the pirates.

"RORONOA!"

Only to find Captain Smoker facing off against Zoro on the opposite side of the lake.

"Why did you save me?"

For a moment she was taken aback. Zoro had _saved_ Captain Smoker?

Hope surged in her heart. Had he come around at last? Was this the plan that Prince-san had envisioned, wait for the right moment for Straw-Hat to be turned over to a powerful marine, so that they, the blackmailed crew, could be pardoned and freed at last?

But Zoro's next words shattered it all.

"Captain's orders. You don't have to thank me. It's just him being weird.'

_Captain's orders?_

_Captain Monkey D. Luffy's orders?_

_The same Monkey D. Luffy who was the pirate also known as 'Straw-Hat"?_

She couldn't believe it. It made no sense. If she were an evil criminal with Captain Smoker in pursuit, surely she would have just let him die... why would _Straw-Hat_ order Zoro to save Captain Smoker?

Was this some sort of elaborate gambit on his part?

_Straw-Hat's eyes glinted with greed. "I have never managed to add a Marine captain to my collection," he gloated. "And one with such powerful devil-fruit powers too." _

No.

_Impossible_.

Captain Smoker wouldn't be vulnerable to that kind of mind-control thing. He was going to overpower Straw-Hat and their hunt from Loguetown was going to end here...

"Go. Only this time will I let you escape."

It had to be a trick. Some sort of strange trick to get Straw-Hat off his guard so that Smoker could take him down. But as she just dumbly stood there, she could sense the pirates' presences disappear into the distance.

Smoker had let him go. She couldn't believe it.

_Why? What had happened to justice? _

In the space of a single, terrible day, everything had changed. Every stable thing that had been her foundation and driving force had been taken away from her.

Her friend.

_Piers... _

Her self-control.

_"... I couldn't stop..." _

Her unwavering belief in herself, that she would never lose a fight again.

_"Enjoy the trip down." _

Her purpose of saving Zoro from Straw-Hat's evil influence.

And now even the aura of dependability that she'd always associated with her captain was gone.

Her spirit defeated at last, she sank down to her knees. How could a single day change everything so much?

She didn't move when the marines, no doubt sent by Tashigi, arrived. They hadn't noticed her, and on recovering Captain Smoker, left the scene with him.

She didn't move as the sun dipped lower and lower in the sky, turning the world around her into a landscape of blue twilight and red sunset.

The one thing that brought her out of her daze turned out to be the same thing as last time: an unexpected human touch.

It was from someone who had suddenly gripped her by the shoulder.

She didn't have a sword on her, so in a panic, she blindly hit out at the person to make him let her go. But incredibly enough, he was faster than she and had caught her fist mid-action, preventing her strike.

"Peace! I am not your enemy."

It was the Man Who Smelled of Feathers.

She barely had enough time to be shocked that he had somehow survived, and was alive and talking to her, before he spoke again:

"Where is Princess Vivi?"

There was something about his single-minded devotion to his princess that impressed her. For some reason it made her want to be of assistance to him, stranger though he was.

The princess had left with the Straw-Hats, hadn't she? Slowly she pointed in the direction they had gone.

To her surprise, instead of hurrying off in the direction she had pointed, the Man Who Smelled of Feathers just stood there. "This is yours."

It took her a while to realize he was holding something and proffering it to her. When she gingerly reached for it and the moment her fingertips made contact, she couldn't believe she hadn't realized what it was earlier... "Koyojaku!" Gladness brought warmth into her voice. "I... Thank you."

But she was speaking to the man's back, for he had turned to leave... and yet he was still waiting.

"We must help her. Are you coming?" said he at last.

He was expecting her to come with him? Why?

Yet, without knowing the answer, she got up and followed.

* * *

He was taking a gamble by bringing that unstable girl along, and he knew it. But when you are about to face down a woman with such demonic powers, any kind of backup is preferable to having none.

He stiffened. Vivi had to have come this way, but in the distance, all he could see was _her_.

That accursed woman who had toyed around with them as if they were nothing but dolls to break, and whose abilities he would not underestimate again. She was standing at the edge of the desert, looking down at something, talking to someone he could not see.

It was too good an opportunity to miss.

Behind him he could sense the girl's presence. She had done a rather admirable job of following him silently despite her odd attire.

"The woman with the devil-fruit ability, she is ahead. I will engage her. Wait for my hand signal, then attack," Pell instructed her as he prepared to re-challenge Miss All Sunday. He noted the girl suddenly looked anxious at this.

"And do not attack from the west. The sun is setting and will cast a shadow to where she is, alerting her of your presence. That was how you failed in your attack earlier. We cannot carelessly waste the element of surprise this time."

The girl looked defensive for a moment before his words appeared to sink in, and then she just looked mortified. He got the impression that she was not used to have her fighting techniques criticised or corrected. Strange, from what he had seen of her sword skills he had expected that she would have known of something so rudimentary.

It was then, when studying her face, when he realised something that he should have noticed sooner.

Suddenly, her lack of awareness about the sun and shadows, and her earlier anxiety, started to make sense.

"Actually, never mind the hand signal. Wait until you hear me say 'Now!' and attack. I will provide all the distraction you need to take her down."

"As you say."

It was a good plan, but it was never carried out because of one unexpected complication.

* * *

Minutes later, Kuina strained to hear the words that carried across the distance. A normal person would probably have not been able to even hear their voices, but having a sharp sense of hearing had its advantages.

The Man Who Smelled Of Feathers had yet to give the signal, and she wondered why it was taking him so long. Actually, she was also wondering why she was even following his orders in the first place, but the man had a kind of commanding presence that made one want obey without question.

Miss All-Sunday's voice, while still arrogant, sounded slightly different this time around.

"Perfect timing. You can take care of this boy..." In fact one could say that she sounded a little kinder, and certainly less cruel.

The longer the Man Who Smelled Of Feathers stood there facing off the dangerous Miss All-Sunday, the less chance they had of taking her down. Why was he persisting in not attacking?

"... that boy is the gallant knight who escorted your princess safely home. And he also stayed behind to fight a warlord so that his companions could escape."

There was someone else lying there. A very heavily injured someone else.

Who was it? Surely not... Zoro? Or even Prince-san? Nearly getting killed so that the others could escape sounded exactly like the idiotic kind of thing they would do.

Or even worse, maybe Straw-Hat had commanded them to stay behind, sacrificing his men to save his own skin?

"...I wouldn't advise trying to attack me. You are heavily injured enough as it is."

It would have been the perfect moment for her to attack, but still, no signal. Instead, the Man Who Smelled of Feathers sank to his knees (she could hear the displacement of the sand) and let Miss All-Sunday ride away.

_What was he doing?_

"Girl... you can come out now. And please... help this boy."

Kuina emerged from her hiding place and approached in slow bewilderment. She couldn't believe it, but the soft rustle of interlocking straws did not lie.

Before her, helpless, defeated, and totally at her mercy, was the one she had hunted for so long: the notorious pirate known as Straw-Hat Luffy.

* * *

**To Be Continued... **

* * *

***Chapter Footnotes:**

**[1] Tucking chin to chest for safe falling = This is a technique for 'safer' falling backwards. In theory it keeps you from cracking your head open on the edge of the stairs though I should not need to tell you to not to try it as a experiment regardless.**

**[2] Kuina-kun = Yes. I am aware -kun is mostly a masculine honourfic, but you will also note that Sanji doesn't really use honorifics correctly, as seen in his usage of "Nami-san" and "Robin-chan".**

**[3] Alabastan swords = Judging from what we've seen of them before, in the real world we would probably call them Mameluk swords.**

* * *

_**A/N: Once again, thanks to callosum for the express beta job!**_

_**Also, thanks for all your helpful reviews and favourites for TABCF! The reviews and feedback help me improve, and the favourites help me get more readers who leave feedback to help me improve. Either way, it helps me a lot, so I thank you.**_

_**I've tried to reply to every review I received by PM, for those of you who left unsigned reviews, I hope you don't mind if I only answer some of your questions below, since it would take up too much of the Q and A section if I did the whole thing here. If you'd like me to go in-depth, let me have some way of PM-ing you, thanks! :)**_

_**Without further ado, here is the Q and A:**_

* * *

_**Q (Multiple people):** What will happen to Pieeeerrrsss? Noooo!_

_**A: I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I still really feel bad for what happened to Piers, but I did promise a reader not to kill him this chapter, at least. (runs and hides)**_

* * *

_**Q (Multiple people): **Who was the person who stopped Kuina?_

_**A: I really received a wide range of guesses for this. I thought I'd just list them, and my comments on those guesses, out:**_

**Pell** (yumeniai, Sorakage Sama): _**This was the correct choice, so nicely deduced!**_

**Crocodile **(Sorakage Sama, DaDude): _**I was rather surprised to see Crocodile's name in the list of guesses, but he's still in the cage room in Rain Dinners, so I'm afraid it couldn't be him.**_

**Luffy** (FanFictionFan345): _**This would have actually been a very in-character thing for Luffy to do, actually. Unfortunately he's still in that cage under Rain Dinners with Croc, so he can't be the one :( **_

**Sanji** (DaDude): _**This would have fit so well I'm actually quite peeved I didn't think of this one. As it turned out, I had different plans for Sanji. Nice one, nevertheless!**_

**Briggs** (DaDude): _**Interesting assessment on his character. It's a shame he's in Nanohana at the moment else we could have explored that :(**_

_**Vivi **(Miyu Hinamori): **Now that's interesting, and actually not that far off, but I don't think Vivi would have had the strength to stop her.**_

* * *

_**Q (Multiple people): **Kuina knows how to use Mantra/Kenbunshoku Haki?_

_**A: She, like Coby, has had it triggered, but that doesn't mean she really knows how to control or use it properly yet. **_

* * *

_**Gree**: You've got a great thing going here, but it took me a while to bother finding a time slot in which to read through the whole chapter, because whenever I'd start reading, it just couldn't keep my interest. There wasn't quite enough life to the story, but I'll hang in there. Whether you notice it or not (and it's easy not to notice if you don't look back on your past work), the more you write, the more you improve. So please don't settle for simply satisfying your readers. WOW us. Send us to the ER in shock._

_**A: Thanks for hanging in there. I had thought that I had made that chapter as action-packed as I could, but obviously I still need to improve my pacing and storytelling. Definitely not settling for mediocrity. Hopefully this chapter is better on that aspect!**_

* * *

_**avatoa**: From your question and answer area, when did Thatch come into the story in the previous chapter?_

_**A: Thatch is the unnamed Whitebeard division commander mentioned in Zoro's flashback (about how he knew about the Whitebeard marking), the swordsman that Zoro would have wanted to fight.**_

* * *

_**kirby163: **But how did Ichii-san know about Sky Islands? They're not commun knowledge. Was she a Pirate?_

_**A: As hinted by Smoker, Ichii-san is not an ordinary person. She did a bit of travelling around the world before, and it's not inconceivable that the Sky Islands was one of those places.**_

* * *

_**DaDude: **...You do know what "Starcraft" is right? I-I certainly hope you do because... I can't think of a reason, but look it up, you'll understand...'zerging'..._

_**A: Yes Cerebrant? What's that? Use your weak, but numerous and quickest units to overwhelm the enemy by sheer numbers and speed? Understood. ;)**_

* * *

_**Pom Rania:** Piers has the same attitude towards scars as Luffy? Interesting. _

_**A: Well Piers finds den-den mushi adorable, so I guess he's got some rather unorthodox tastes in things.**_

* * *

_**Somebody: **How does Kuina know what Mihawk looks like if she's blind (and I doubt that she had seen him or wanted poster, or something that had his face on it, in her early life)._

_**A: Ouch, you got me. *hands Somebody a Plothole Pinpointer Award* I'll get around to fixing that...**_

* * *

_**YumiDoesTheMacarena: **In the sentence where Kuina thanks Tashigi. (On that note, is the thanks the last thing Kuina says before leaving or was it something else that left Tashigi stunned?)_

_**A: She does say something else that isn't mentioned... yet.**_

_**

* * *

**_

**_animefan29_**: _You know, I am pretty sure I saw on a map of Alabasta that Rainbase is in the interior of the island, thus there would be no port or dock for boats. On the other hand its possible that its close enough to the river that boats could be moored there and a person could quickly walk to Rainbase, But I doubt it._

**_A: Oh good one. *hands out another Plothole Pinpointer Award*. I'll have to fix that too!_**

* * *

_**Phew! That was another long chapter. I'm working hard on the next one, especially now that things are heating up! Feel free to leave your comments as always, and thanks for reading!**_


	12. The Falcon and the Partridge

**_Announcement: Firstly, I need to draw your attention to my first wonderful fanart for this fic! Hop over to override7400(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Zoro-and-Kuina-201291325 and tell Override7400 how awesome it is!_**

**_Done? OK, on to the chapter!_**

* * *

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will.**

**Chapter 12: The Falcon and the Partridge**

* * *

"Yes Tashigi, you heard me right. I said, Crocodile."

"But how can that be? He's supposed to be on the World Government's side!"

"The only side that sand-bastard is on is his own. He's been playing everyone for fools." Smoker was gazing down at the still figure of Piers on the infirmary bed as he said this, his expression dark as he took in the after-effects of his brief absence. The petty officer was almost unrecognisable beneath the tangle of bandages, tubes and assorted medical paraphernalia that had been necessary to keep him clinging onto the side of the living.

"Keep your voices down, or take it elsewhere," Doctor Francis snapped. "This is an infirmary, not a war room!"

The doctor had been in a foul mood since Smoker's return. In fact, the first thing the old man had done was to walk up to the captain and attempt to kick him in the shins. This had been accompanied with an angry tirade about how he had told him so, and not to forget that not all of Smoker's men were "like either of you one-man army devil-fruit freaks". As the captain was a smoke logia, the actual kick itself of course had no effect, but it was the thought that counted.

Tashigi, who knew the captain best of everyone on board, could tell that despite his stoic demeanour Captain Smoker was upset. Not angry, furious or enraged, mind you (all those were very common states of mind for Smoker to be in) but _upset_. Something that had happened to the captain during the period he had spent as Crocodile's prisoner and his escape had shaken him. Badly.

Coming back to the ship to hear her report (which had included Briggs' brief communication and the sinister interruption that had ended it) and then finding his men and one of his protégés in such a deplorable state had simply been the last straw.

And when that happened, his reaction was incredibly predictable. At least from Tashigi's point of view, it was.

He was going to do something reckless.

So she wasn't surprised when upon Doctor Francis' sharp remark, Captain Smoker had turned and wordlessly walked out of the infirmary. He had the air of a man who had had enough and had made up his mind.

By the time she'd gone after him he was already astride his smoke bike, his expression grim.

"Captain Smoker, where are you going?" Her heart was sinking as she said it, because inwardly, she already knew what would be the answer.

"I'm heading out to sea. Urgent business. I'm leaving everything up to you, Tashigi."

She had been right. He _was _going to do something reckless.

"But Captain Smoker, what about those pirates? And Baroque Works, the rebellion, and what Briggs said? And Briggs sounded like he was in trouble. I'm very sure something bad happened to him!"

"Tashigi, do whatever you see fit. Go after the Straw-Hats, or head to Alubarna and stop the rebellion, or Nanohana to find out what happened to Briggs. Whichever you choose, I'll take responsibility for it."

"But... "

"As for Briggs... I wouldn't worry too much. There's something you need to know about him, Tashigi. Briggs is something like-" The captain paused for a moment, as if trying to find the right words - "... a cockroach. Trust me when I say if it were _that _easy to get rid of him, it would have happened a long time ago."

With this unflattering analogy, he left.

Tashigi watched him leave, uncomfortably aware that once again, she was being left alone to handle the situation.

* * *

Across the desert, the motley crew that formed the Straw-Hat pirates were all seated on the back of the giant sand-crab. Anyone observing might have noted that the tense atmosphere of the gathered pirates. They might have also attributed the silence to the absence of one of their own.

"So who was she? The kimono-girl?" A voice finally spoke out, over the sound of scuttling sand-crab.

Zoro scowled at Nami. It wasn't any of her damn business and he told her as much.

"IS THAT ANY WAY TO SPEAK TO- Oh, you mean Kuina-kwun? Nami-swan, don't tell me... are you jea-"

Everyone cringed as Nami smacked Sanji over the head.

This was followed by another furious snarl. "Kuina-_kwun_? WHAT THE HELL? I TOLD YOU SHE WAS OFF-LIMITS, YOU DAMN PERVERT!"

"What happens between me and Kuina-kwun is none of your-"

"WHY YOU ERO BAS-"

Everyone cringed again as Nami smacked both of them to prevent the two men from fighting.

"Will the kimono lady be all right?" Chopper wondered as Zoro and Sanji recovered from the pounding. "We didn't see her after the room collapsed and flooded with water?"

"Yeah. She's strong, she'll be fine! What the hell are you worrying about _her_?" Zoro wondered if his crew had always been such busybodies and he just hadn't noticed it.

Everyone knew the answer to that, really.

It was because the one everyone was really worried about was Luffy, and the kimono-girl presented a welcome distraction from thinking about their captain's chances of defeating a Warlord of the Sea.

He'd never failed them before. He wouldn't lose to that hook-handed monster now.

He just _wouldn't_.

* * *

When Pell came to he realized he was lying on something soft. Someone was bending over him. The training of a lifetime and the instincts it had granted took over.

"Uh... Please let go of my hand."

It was only then when Pell realized that he had the figure's hand in a vice-like grip. From the touch he immediately know it belonged to a girl. In fact, it belonged to _the _Girl with the Sword. Without being conscious of it, he had bolted upright and defensively caught her extended hand. Perhaps a little too roughly.

"My apologies. Reflexes." He released her hand, and reflected that he had been doing a lot of that to her recently.

"It's all right," she said, withdrawing and gingerly rubbing at her wrist as she did so. He hoped he hadn't hurt her. "You're... really really fast. I guess that means Pell-sama is much better now."

"You know my name?"

"That's what they seem to be calling you here."

"_They? _Where are we? What happened?"

"Pell-sama collapsed. Fortunately we were near an inn. The innkeeper was very kind. Apparently he used to be an army medic. He is the one who tended to Pell-sama's injuries. He keeps talking about being a King's man and about not being part of the rebellion, and all those reports about the King burning down Nanohana are nothing but lies."

"Burning down Nanohana? No, that cannot be!" His voice was raised despite himself.

The girl shrugged. "That's what they say."

Pell groaned. King Cobra would never do something like that, but it didn't matter, because if rumours like that had spread, there was no question as to what the rebel army's reaction would be. The truth was but a trivial detail compared to what rebels wanted to believe.

"Tell me...the rebellion, it has started then?"

"Not in this town, but they said that there would be trouble in Alubarna once the rebel army gets there."

This was wrong. All wrong. Inwardly Pell apologized to Chaka and the King for leaving them alone to handle what must be a nightmare situation, but what was done was done. He had to stay focused on the matters at hand—

"What of the boy?"

The girl's face remained impassive.

* * *

_**Several Hours Ago...**_

"Just look at these terrible injuries! What manner of monster was Pell-sama fighting?" The inn-keeper shook his head as he exchanged a blood-soaked cloth for a fresh one as he tended to the royal guardian's injuries. It had been quite a struggle for the short little man to get the unconscious soldier laid out on the table.

"One with powers of a devil," was all Kuina could bring herself to say as she gathered their blood-stained clothing. The inn-keeper had instructed her to have them soaked in a tub he had prepared. He'd also loaned her a robe so she could have her kimono cleaned.

Kuina didn't know it then, but what with water being a scarce resource, the man's generosity on even such trivial issues should have been something worthy of note. Of course, she also didn't know that the inn-keeper had come to assume that she must be some important dignitary with some relation to the royals. At least, he had decided that she must be, since Pell the Falcon himself had been assigned as part of her entourage.

"... I've never seen such terrible injuries, not even during the time I served in the war of... well that was probably before you were born. Still, what kind of devil breaks bones and impales a poor young boy through?" wondered the man.

_A. Poor. Young. Boy._ It was all Kuina could do not to bite her lip at this.

Kuina tuned the man's voice out as she turned her attention to the "poor young boy" who was laid out on the other table.

She was finding it hard believe that this really was the infamous Straw-Hat Luffy. He didn't seem like anything she had expected. In fact, he just seemed so...young and foolish and unthreatening and...vulnerable.

In a somewhat frightening way he reminded her of Zoro during his idiot child years.

The doctor had taken a brief moment earlier to examine the boy's injuries (she wasn't sure if she would ever get used to thinking of Straw-Hat as a boy) before immediately proceeding to tend to the Man Who Smelled of Feathers. Apparently 'Pell-sama' (as the inn-keeper called him) was a well-known hero in this country. She supposed that it was natural that the man's first impulse would be to save the famous personage that he knew first.

Or perhaps he had come to the conclusion there was no saving this boy and it would be kinder to just let him die peacefully.

But the boy wasn't dead yet. She could hear him breathing. She could hear each and every desperate rattle as he fought for breath.

She hated the sound. It reminded her too much of-

_Piers, painfully fighting for each life-giving breath in the sick-bay, as he lay on that operating table that was slick with his own blood- _

"...are you all right, Lady Kuina? You look about to faint," the inn-keeper's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"It's all right. I just felt a little sick."

"Hm, in that case I am truly sorry to impose, but I may need your assistance here."

She obeyed and came up to the inn-keeper.

"I need you to hold Pell-sama in place... no, under the arms... yes. Lock your arms. Good, just like that. Keep an eye on his breathing and heartbeat and let me know if shows signs of coming to. This is a lot easier to do if the patient is relaxed."

_Or unconscious. _

She complied, placing her sensitive fingers on her new charge's pulse. She couldn't help noticing that his heartbeat felt rather like the rapid fluttering of a bird's wings.

"Good. Now hold on tightly and pull backwards as much as you can."

She obeyed. For a man of his size Pell-sama was surprisingly light.

She could hear the doctor grunt as he pulled on the other end. For what seemed for ages she found herself in a somewhat comical parody of tug-of-war with an unconscious soldier in the middle, but eventually there was a sudden movement and an audible "pop" of bone.

"What was that?" cried Kuina in alarm.

"That... was the sound of a partially dislocated hip being pulled back into place," said the inn-keeper with some satisfaction as he examined his patient. 'Don't worry, no new bones broken. I can't even imagine how Pell-sama managed to walk around with that injury, it must have been excruciating."

_Excruciating. _

Was it as excruciating as what Straw-Hat must be feeling right now, being impaled through like that? True, he may have been a scoundrel but even so... did anyone deserve to die in such a way?

And why was she standing there, feeling sorry for a criminal who had managed to destroy so much of what she had held dear? More on a whim than any real concern, she turned towards where Straw-Hat was lying.

"The boy's injuries are quite severe, I'm afraid there's not much..." the inn-keeper did not budge from Pell-sama's side, but his tone spoke volumes.

All it would take was for this criminal mastermind to expire and Zoro would be free and be the same person she had always known.

She gritted her teeth. It was a perfect opportunity. The Man Who Smelled Of Feathers was out cold, and the inn-keeper had appeared to have all but given up on _this_ patient. All she had to do was push Straw-Hat further along a journey that he had already begun, and all her problems would be over.

No one would ever need to know.

But before she could progress further along this path of thought, a voice spoke in her head:

"_It is dishonourable for a swordsman to continue fighting against an opponent who has already been beaten."_

This time, her own words, oft repeated, sounded as though they had been spoken in Pell-sama's steely soft voice, that had both awed and frightened her.

She exhaled slowly. No, she wouldn't stoop as low to kill someone in cold blood when he couldn't defend himself. _Never_.

But the insidious other voice kept whispering. _"Then just do nothing."_

Doing nothing wasn't the same as doing something, was it? She didn't have to do anything to get what she wanted anyway.

"_Girl... Please... save this boy." _Once again that man's voice resonated in her head.

She didn't owe that Pell-sama anything. She didn't have to listen to his orders, as compelling as he could be.

It was better this way. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to kill Straw-Hat Luffy now that she had discovered what he was like, but that didn't mean she had to save him. Straw-Hat was going to die on his own. No one could blame her.

Unbidden, the memory of a different voice, this one mocking, filled her mind.

_"...how is that different from what you just did to my employees? What a joke."_

Suddenly, Kuina saw the shallowness of her own reasoning and the dark turn she had been contemplating. And with a sickening twinge of shame she realised she had almost become nothing better than the scum who had shot Piers and left him to die.

How was it possible that it was the memory of Miss All-Sunday, whom she hated so much, that ended up being the one who put her right?

"Please, Innkeep-san," Kuina spoke out loud suddenly. "Save this boy too."

"Lady Kuina..." the inn-keeper lowered his voice. "That boy's injuries are far too serious. I don't think there's anything I can do to-"

"Please!" She surprised herself by the earnestness in her own voice. "Please, try!"

For a moment there was no sound in the room but the hoarse breathing of Straw-Hat Luffy as he fought to live.

"All right," the inn-keeper said finally. "I will tend to the boy."

"Thank you."

"Do not thank me yet, Lady Kuina," the inn-keeper replied as he got to work. "I cannot guarantee this boy can be saved."

"But you will try."

"Yes, I will try."

* * *

"The boy...?" Pell-sama did not attempt to hide his concern for Straw-Hat.

Kuina searched for the right words. "About his condition- his condition is... he's-"

"OLD MAN! THIS MEAT IS SO GOOD!"

"-recovering in the next room."

* * *

"MEEAATTTT!"

Kuina had come to the conclusion that she was in some sort of delusional waking dream. This boy could not possibly be Straw-Hat Luffy. He must have tossed his hat to an underling with instructions to impersonate the pirate captain's madman impersonation... performance... act... _thing_.

Except that the voice matched the voice of the Straw-Hat Luffy she had run into at Nanohana. Perfectly.

No, there was no way around it. Straw-Hat Luffy might be an evil mastermind, but his personality was that of your local village idiot. Or perhaps, he made use of it as a front...

"Say Kimono-chan, are you gonna eat that?" Straw-Hat's voice made her jump.

"Eat? Ah... no—" The plate of food that the inn-keeper had set before her disappeared before she'd even finished the last syllable.

"THANKS... That was good!"

This was... too much.

"You can stop this now," Kuina's voice was low but intense. "I know who you are. I know WHAT you are. You can drop the charade."

She kept her sword hand ready, waiting for the first sign of hostility before she drew her weapon. It didn't matter if that boy seemed so unthreatening, she knew that she could not, and would not underestimate him.

_Straw-Hat's innocent demeanor fell from him like a sheepskin from a deviously disguised wolf. "So you have seen through my disguise," he drawled, his eyes glowing menacingly red as a darkness gathered about him. "It's a shame really, because you won't live to tell about it, Kimono Kuina._

"_YOU WERE A FOOL NOT TO HAVE KILLED ME WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE! Now there's no one here who can stop me! I'll kill that old fool of a doctor, and I'll take over that royal guardian's mind while he's helpless... right after I erase your very existence, of course!"_

_She braced herself as his form started changing... it was shifting into something much bigger: An inhumanly dark, draconic form that filled the room—_

Straw-Hat paused in his eating, but for only a moment. "You ate a chair?"

"How did you even get that idea?"

_—"Tremble before my might! For I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms!"*-_

"Didn't you say something about a chair that you ate?"

Her mental image of Straw-Hat Luffy the Ancient Abomination shattered into unrecoverable shards as she was overcome with irritation at the boy's unbelievable idiocy.

"I said: _A CHARADE_, not a _chair-ate_! You can't possibly be this dense! Just who do you think you are?"

Straw-Hat Luffy, the sinister mastermind who had been the cause of everything disastrous since Shelltown, merely laughed with a mouth full of roasted sand-lizard, absolutely unoffended at her harsh words.

"I'm Luffy! By the way, thanks for saving me, Kimono-chan."

"I- Well... you should save your thanks for the doctor and Pell-sama. They're the ones who insisted on it."

She couldn't help but be a bit taken aback. Why was it that every little thing Straw-Hat did keep throwing her off? He had a deceptively disarming manner about him.

But no, she wouldn't fall for his trap.

"Pell-sama? Is that the white robe guy?"

That was one way to describe the man, she supposed. "Yes. It is him."

"Is he ok?"

Her eyes narrowed. Why was Straw-Hat expressing concern for Pell-sama? "Innkeep-san says he will live," she said at last.

"Phew. I'm glad. He helped me too, right?"

"That's what I just said."

"Then he's also nice like you, right?"

He was calling her _nice?_

"Well I-"

"Say Kimono-chan, why'd you help us earlier back at Croc's lair?"

"I didn't help you. I came to help Zoro." She wondered if she sounded as ungracious as she was feeling.

"Oh, so you and Zoro are friends?"

"We're... we're..."

_Rivals. Best friends. Oath keepers. Saviour and saved... _in the middle of trying to explain what Zoro meant to her, she lost her temper.

"HOW CAN YOU JUST DO THAT?" She raised her voice, not caring if it disturbed the recuperating patient next door. "How can you just stand there grinning ear-to-ear and smile at me and say nice things when you took the only person who ever understood me away from me?"

"Eh, I did that?"

"I'm talking about Zoro! Shelltown! You practically forced him to become a pirate!"

Straw-Hat was silent. But only for a moment. And then he laughed.

"I see! Well I guess I did! I helped him get back his katana, so he had to agree join my crew. But Zoro said that it's ok as long as he follows his dream, and he'll leave if I ever get in his way. Actually no, he said he'd kill me if I get in his way but he probably didn't mean that."

Kuina was stunned. "You mean he can leave whenever he wants to?"

"If he wants to. I want my nakama to follow their dreams too. I want to be the Pirate King and he wants to be the world's greatest swordsman so it makes sense."

"He...he told you about our dream?"

"Oh, you guys have the same dream?"

"We grew up at the same dojo. We both made a promise to become the world's greatest swordsman - until you came into the picture and turned him into a criminal!"

"Why can't he be the greatest swordsman and a pirate at the same time?"

"Well, I- That's not the point!" Kuina was trying very hard to hold on to her anger and hatred for Straw-Hat, but for some reason it was failing her and fizzling out miserably.

"Oh. I get it. You were worried about him because he's your little brother, right? My brother Ace always said that being the older brother he always worries about having an idiot little brother."

Ace...the fire pirate from Nanohana. Kuina wondered whether this Luffy was even aware that by 'idiot brother', Fire-Fist Ace actually meant him. But one fact did need correcting:

"Zoro isn't my brother. We're not related."

"You grew up together and he's the one who understands you, right?" Luffy stated as he inhaled another joint of meat. "Why do you have to be related for him to be your brother?"

For a moment she stopped and sat there dumbly. Straw-Hat Luffy might be an evil pirate who was nothing like the evil pirate that she had envisioned, but he was absolutely right.

"I suppose..." she finally managed to stammer, "... t-that makes sense."

She knew by how his voice sounded, he was grinning at her. "See? All you have to do is exchange sake cups and you'll be brothers. Well maybe for you I guess you'd be a sister. But the thing is, he's a person who is important to you, right?"

The evil pirate Straw-Hat Luffy, who blackmailed noble persons into joining his crew, was dispensing advice on bonding. To her.

"Y—es..." she said faintly.

"And that's why you came after Zoro. Because you wanted to protect a person who's important to you."

"That's—"

_I am never losing again. I don't want to lose... anyone... anymore._

"—true."

"I understand how you feel. I want to protect my nakama too, that's why - Say, do you want to join my crew?"

"W-What?" The non-sequitur question caught her totally off-guard.

"Well, if Zoro's a pirate it's hard for you to keep an eye on him. So it'd be easier for you if you two are pirates together, right?"

"I can't be a pirate! I'm a marine!"

_—who nearly killed you in Nanohana, _she added mentally.

"You are?" Kuina could tell Straw-Hat wasn't really taken aback by this. "Are you like Smokey from Loguetown?"

"Uh... he's my captain."

"I see." This seemed to stump him for a moment. But only a moment. "It's okay, I don't hate him. And since you're Zoro's friend and you're pretty strong, if you ever change your mind and stop being a marine, you're welcome to join us!"

"Right... Thank you. I ah - think I'd better go and check on ah - Pell-sama," she said hastily, feeling as though she had been just clouted over the head with an oversized elephant-tuna.

"Okay!" The sound of high-speed eating resumed.

Kuina removed herself from the room and entered the the bedroom in which Pell-sama lay, still unconscious. She could hear the sound of his breathing and the rhythm was strangely calming. It also helped her gather her scattered thoughts together.

Straw-Hat Luffy was nothing like the villain she had imagined.

He was in fact, an idiot.

And crazy.

And not evil.

And thoroughly unbelievably _likable_.

At the same time, he DID have a rather warped kind of instinctive wisdom.

But one thing really shook her.

He understood her better than she did herself.

* * *

It was probably an indication of how seasoned Pell was when he appeared to handle the surprise better than she had. "This peculiar individual... who is he? Does he have a name?"

"His name is Luffy. He is... a pirate."

The falcon-man was already attempting to sit up. "I would like to meet this boy."

"Are you sure you should be—"

"Do not worry, I recover quickly."

This was not an idle boast; the man did seem to have recuperated quite rapidly. Privately Kuina wondered if it was a bonus devil-fruit ability to be able to shrug off serious wounds as if they were mere inconveniences.

"Here are your robes. The inn-keeper had them cleaned while you were unconscious."

Pell accepted them gratefully. "They've been mended," he noted.

"It was something to do to pass the time."

"You are quite skilled with the needle."

"Oh, I apprenticed under a kimono-maker, and the inn-keeper had some needles and thread," she said, blushing slightly at the compliment. "It isn't that special."

"Under normal circumstances."

Kuina suddenly froze, realising what he _did_ mean and must have figured out. "I..."

"You don't have to explain anything," Pell tactfully reassured her, his tone changing to a softer one as he did so. "My late mother's sight failed her during the later years of her life. I recognise the signs."

"Oh. I... thank you." Unexpectedly meeting someone who understood what it was like living without sight put her at a loss for words.

He had a rather nice voice, she decided. Soft, but steely, with enough gentleness to not sound harsh. It made one fear, respect and trust him. All at the same time.

Still, she wasn't sure if she could be comfortable around this man and his uncanny ability to see through her facade, and she was glad when a distraction intervened in the form of the boy's demanding wail.

"OLD MAN! MORE MEEEATTTT!"

"Yes. He is quite lively now," said Pell, noting the boy's vigorous shout as well. "You have done well. I... thank you for your assistance. But I'm afraid I do not even know your name."

"I am called Kuina."

"You have my gratitude, Miss Kuina."

Involuntarily Kuina flinched. The last person who had called her that had been Piers.

That man had to have eyes like a hawk, for he immediately noticed her discomfort. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's all right, it's just that it reminded of someone... I'm fine... just 'Kuina' is fine, Pell-sama."

"I do not deserve that honorific, Kuina. Just 'Pell' will suffice."

She shook her head. " It seems strange to be just calling you just that - Pell-san. Considering how I owe you a great debt."

"For what?" Again, the tone of his voice had changed. This time, it sounded rather wary.

"For stopping me back there. When I was... when I was... stabbing that man—"

"Do not thank me for that!" he said quickly, cutting her off. She could hear the self-loathing in his voice. "You would be thanking a hypocrite."

"Hypocrite?" she repeated slowly, not quite understanding.

"I stopped you from giving in to your hate and taking your revenge. Yet the moment I heard about Igaram, there I was, intent on doing the exact same thing." He gave a bitter laugh. "And I even failed at that."

She opened her mouth, then shut it again. What could anyone say in a such a situation?

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said all that... I... I... we should just going to go check on Luffy now."

Kuina got up and turned to flee, keen on putting some distance between herself and this man whom she had inadvertently offended. But she never got further than that.

"How was your friend killed?" Pell asked abruptly, stopping her in her tracks.

The question caught her by surprise and she blurted out the answer before she could think. "I ... don't know ... if he's dead yet."

There was a stunned silence.

"You don't _know_?"

* * *

_"Take this with you, report in if you find Captain Smoker or see anything. He's missing. Please."_

_Kuina took the den-den mushi from Tashigi gingerly, feeling as though if she lost control, she could end up crushing the little creature by accident. But she really ought to have said something to acknowledge the other woman's consideration, so she said it. _

_"Thank you." _

_It wasn't enough. She still felt as though she should explain herself further. _

_"Tashigi... I know I shouldn't leave like this, but If I stay here... any moment Doctor-san might come in and tell us that Piers... that he's ... that he didn't make it... and I can't be here when it happens... I just … can't... Tashigi..." She could hear her own voice breaking down. _

_This was unlike her. Ichii-san had drilled self-possession and stoicism into her, but sometimes the memory of old, unhealed wounds can easily shatter years of deliberate self-control._

_She could tell Tashigi was stunned by her outburst. Not knowing what else to say, she turned and fled, away from the ship over which the shadow of death now hung. _

* * *

"I'm a coward," Kuina confessed, hiding her face in her hands. "I didn't even want to face the possibility of hearing the worst. I ran away from it all, with only a flimsy excuse of wanting revenge. Now I don't even know if Piers is alive or dead and I'm too afraid to go back and find out."

For many moments there was silence in the room. The desert breeze wafted through the narrow windows.

"If there is one thing I have learnt from years of being a soldier..." Pell's voice was low, and rather thoughtful. "It is that to lose one's fear of death, one needs to learn to face it instead of running away from it."

"I'm not afraid of dying," she protested. "But the people around me is another matter."

"Is it not the same thing? Life without the ones you care for is the same as death. But in truth, I can tell you that the harsh truth of death is never as bad as your fear makes it. At least then you _know_."

She knew that he was right. Even if she ran away, it wouldn't have made a difference to whether Piers would have survived or not. But since that terrible moment, she herself had been trapped in this tormenting limbo of not knowing. Even if the worst had happened, she could at least have come to terms with what had happened to Piers by now. If only she had the courage to want to _know_.

They sat in awkward silence, with only the sounds of Luffy's high-speed eating audible from the other room.

"So who was Igaram?" It was more for the sake of breaking the silence than anything. She was remembering the unbridled rage in those angrily shouted words from their encounter with Miss All-Sunday.

"He is the captain of the Royal Alabastan guard. And to me, a close friend and mentor." At his use of the word 'mentor' Kuina tried to imagine a male version of Ichii-san, and failed utterly. "He was a great man, who loved his country and died to protect it."

"You would gladly do the same." It was not a question.

"In a heartbeat."

At this an involuntary shiver ran down her spine. Here she was, with her selfish, grandiose dreams of becoming the world's greatest swordsman, while there were people with this degree of selflessness out there.

Suddenly Kuina felt very small and petty.

Country... what a strange concept to die for. There had never been this feeling of patriotism in her own homeland. Of course she was fond of her hometown and the dojo, but was just the village. Surely it had to be part of a greater kingdom or something, but now that she thought about it, she realized that she had no idea to which country it belonged. And by extension, which country SHE belonged to.

She couldn't help but feel a bit mortified at her ignorance.

"Pell-san, may I ask you a question?"

"Please ask."

"Would you work with a pirate to protect something you cared about?"

"To protect my country, I would. And I will judge a person by their behaviour first. Even a pirate."

At this Kuina had a rather uncomfortable reminder of how Pell's first impression of her had been her viciously stabbing away at a man who had ceased fighting back.

Pell rose to his feet and made his way stiffly to towards the door. "Come, we must make a move. I wish to have a word with the boy."

* * *

"So you mean to say that Vivi-sama's plan is to make contact with Kohza before the rebellion starts and convince him to stand down?"

"Yep! And I have to kick Crocodile's ass!"

"Of course."

Kuina wondered how Pell-sama managed to keep all traces of levity out of his voice at the boy's ludicrous pronouncements.

"This does sound like a plan Vivi-sama would come up with," Pell said thoughtfully. "She and Kohza have a long history together. Though I am not sure if this would be enough to stop an army of thousands. Once the people have gathered for war, it is will not be so easy to get them to back down again."

Pell-sama had left the rest unsaid, but Kuina doubted Vivi's plan would have worked anyway. She was remembering Loguetown, and how a childhood friendship hadn't been able to stop Zoro (who had not been coerced into becoming a pirate after all) from changing his mind. What more an army?

"But even if we cannot stop the two armies from fighting, we still need to find a way to stop Crocodile."

"He's... powerful, isn't he?" Kuina pointed out.

Pell remained silent. Kuina guessed that he was remembering his defeat at the hands of Miss All-Sunday. If they couldn't even defeat the warlord's partner, what were the chances of them defeating a man whose power even the World Government respected?

"He beat me last time," admitted Luffy. "But I found out his secret! I know how to defeat him! It's—"

"Purupurupuru..."

Kuina excused herself and retreated to the other room to answer her den-den mushi. The last thing she needed was a call from her to Tashigi with Straw-Hat Luffy's voice in the background.

"Tashigi?"

"Kuina, where are you? We're heading out to Alubarna to stop the rebellion."

"I'll meet you there."

"What? Kuina, you can't travel anywhere on your own."

"I know. I'm... well I've met up with the Alabastan royal army. I'm helping them."

Silence. Tashigi was obviously expecting more clarification.

"We had a fight with a Baroque Works officer. She had a devil-fruit that let her grow arms everywhere. She got away but we're going after them. Will that be all right?"

The silence on the den-den mushi spoke volumes. Since her days with Ichii-san, Kuina had always been better at reading silence than any other sound. She could tell that Tashigi only half-believed her.

"All right," her superior said at last. "The ship will remain where we docked on the Shandora. Either make your way there or contact me when you get to Alubarna."

"Of course."

After the den-den mushi went back to sleep, Kuina wondered if she'd been at all convincing in her half-lie.

* * *

Tashigi put down the den-den mushi. She wasn't sure what to think about her rival. She wasn't even sure if leaving her alone in Rainbase was a good idea, but this was not the time to worry about one out-of-line soldier.

"Doctor-san. We'll leave the ship here. It's too dangerous to move with all the wounded we have into a war zone."

"You're really going to run into the capital city by yourself?"

"I will be taking most of the able men with me."

The doctor sniffed. "What is that Smoker thinking, leaving a lady to do his dirty work?"

"We need to stop those criminals from taking advantage of the war situation, Doctor Francis. And we have to find out what happened to Briggs."

"He won't thank you for it."

"What?"

"Briggs won't, you know. A more ungrateful bastard never lived."

"But Doctor, Briggs could be in trouble!"

"You're too kind to people, Tashigi. But that's a good thing. I'll do what I can to support your decision."

Tashigi bowed. "Thank you. I leave the ship in your care."

"Then I'll do my best to take command of this ship while you are gone... Tashigi...?"

"Yes Doctor-san?" Tashigi had already turned to leave.

"Do what you have to, but don't try to be a hero. Enough have suffered from that delusion."

Behind him, the comatose figure on the bed only emphasised his point.

* * *

Kuina carefully attached Koyojaku to her obi. If they were going to be flying, she would not risk losing her master's sword should they fall.

For the last time she drew the blade and listened to the sound of it cutting through the air. Nothing sounded out of order, which meant the blade was in good condition. Satisfied, she re-sheathed the weapon and vowed it would not be drawn again until her next fight.

"I have been meaning to ask, what kind of sword is that?" Pell-sama's voice jarred her due to its unexpectedness. How could that man move around so lightly and silently in spite of his injuries?

"It's... we call it a shikomizue... but I'm better with a katana actually... it's a sword that's kind of similar to the one you are using, I think... well, not that I've tried using your particular sword but I did use one similar one back in Rainbase... it feels almost like the katanas I used to train with in the dojo back in my homeland..."

Kuina trailed off when she realized that she was babbling. Why was she babbling? She never babbled, it was always other people who did the babbling around her. And yet here she was, babbling about theory and sword styles in a time of war and probably annoying the falcon-man out of his mind.

Except he didn't seem to mind. In fact from his tone, her prattle seemed to have amused him.

"You are a strange one, Kuina."

"What do you mean?"

"You wield that blade with the skill of a veteran of many wars. Yet from the way you act, you appear to have come from a country unscarred by war or conflict, and where swordplay is revered as a form of art, not as a means of killing people. In a way, it is refreshing."

Again, he'd managed to read her through absolutely inconsequential details. She wondered what it was about her that gave away her rustic background. But he was right. "You're right. I have never seen a real war," she told him.

"Then it pains me to know I will be taking a part in destroying that innocence," Pell said. "For if you come with us, we will be going into the heart of what may be the ugliest and bloodiest civil war in the history of this great kingdom."

"I still wish to go," Kuina stated firmly. There was no question to her not going. Even if she wasn't after Zoro and her sword, she knew she couldn't leave Pell and Luffy to face Baroque Works alone.

Even if Pell _did_ make her feel inexplicably unnerved around him. She wondered if this contradictory feeling of simultaneously wanting get as far away from him as possible, and at the same time wanting to be in his presence was another side effect of being a devil-fruit user. Perhaps having partaken of a fruit that granted one such unearthly powers also gave one a certain type of unsettling aura.

She supposed it made sense. Smoker-san was always intimidating and she certainly never felt at ease around the devil-fruit user captain either.

It had to be more of the same thing, she decided much later as Luffy helped her up on Pell's back.

It had to be.

Probably.

* * *

"_Petty Officer Piers! What in the world are you doing strutting around in that indecent state?"_

_It had been another slow day of waiting for the Straw-Hats to show in Nanohana. The marines under Smoker, not being ones to sit around idly, were making use of the extra time to train._

"_Oh, hey, Officer Briggs!" The insult slid off the cheery marine like water off a duck's back. "I'm just going for my training session with Captain Smoker but you know how it is and since my shirt and Miss Kuina's vest (well it's not hers but it's the one she made for me) got damaged last time I decided I'd rather not have Miss Kuina have to re- sew these a third time so I'm going without today. You wanna come spar too? "_

"_No, and practice some decency and put a shirt on! There are women present!" He pointed to Kuina and Tashigi, who were both overseeing the training on deck. "It's disgraceful for a marine on duty to be walking around in such inappropriate attire—"_

_Briggs cut himself off there as Captain Smoker emerged from the cabin, similarly 'attired'. He had discarded his jacket, as the heat of the desert island was probably getting to him at last (he had previously been thought crazy for running around in this kind of climate in a jacket with a fur collar). His jutte was instead strapped to his back by the means of a leather baldric. _

"_Not keen on joining in, Briggs?" Smoker enquired mildly._

"_Ah, no." The warrant-officer was already en route to making a discreet exit. "I... have a— er— headache. Going to see Doctor Francis."_

_Both men shrugged at the retreating navigator and got down to training. Soon, the air was filled with the shouts of the two sparring marines. Well, shouts of encouragement and intimidation from Smoker, shouts of alarm and the occasional just-for-the-heck-of-it battle cry from Piers._

"_I think Piers-san is improving," Kuina noted as she and Tashigi observed from where they were. Unlike the previous sparring sessions, Piers was no longer being tossed around like a limp rag doll. She noted that Smoker wasn't going all out. Although from the looks of things, Smoker wasn't holding back much (unless you counted not using his devil fruit) and Piers was having to push himself hard just to keep up._

_Perhaps Doctor-san's angry tirade last time might have had something to do with it. It was interesting how Doctor-san was probably the only one on board who did not seem intimidated by Smoker's very presence. Still..._

_"Piers-san is definitely improving in his reaction times, and he's more nimble on his feet too. I can tell that his stances are more steady as well."_

_"Mm," was Tashigi's distracted response. She'd been rather quiet since the match had started._

_"Tashigi-san?"_

_There was a pause as Tashigi seemed to be tearing herself away from something. "I keep forgetting, you can't see any of this, can you?"_

_"I'm blind," Kuina began, sightly annoyed. "So no, I can't see them, but I have other senses which compensate for it, so I still have a pretty good idea of what they are doing in combat."_

_"Kuina..." Strange, Tashigi's voice sounded slightly dazed. "You have no idea just what you're missing."_

_Kuina responded in confusion. "No I just said, Tashigi-san, I can track their move—"_

_"Mm-hm." Tashigi made a non-committal motion that might have been a wave and went back to watching the match._

_Kuina took several minutes to puzzle over her behaviour, as Piers and Smoker continued to spar under the hot sun. Eventually she shrugged it off and resigned herself to the fact that despite the appearance of being sane, everyone on board appeared to have their own little idiosyncrasies. Tashigi, just like everyone else on board was probably just being weird*._

* * *

"Take care, Pell-sama. And all of you." The inn-keeper had come to bid farewell.

"I owe you a great debt for your kindness and hospitality," said the falcon-man to the inn-keeper.

"Think nothing of it, Pell-sama. I am a King's man. For King and Country," the old veteran replied. "And I am honoured to have been able to see for myself your famed powers. But if you truly want to thank me, come back here and drink with this old soldier sometime, when this damned war is over."

"It would be my honour to do so."

"GOODBYE, OLD MAN!"

"Luffy, that's rude!"

"THANKS FOR ALL THE MEAT!"

The innkeeper just laughed.

"Godspeed to all of you."

It was not long before the great falcon was barely more than a speck in the distant sky. The old inn-keeper gazed after them.

He wondered if he would really ever see any of them again.

* * *

At first, Kuina had decided that she liked flying.

Or at least, that was what she had thought before the first sandstorms hit.

Riding on Pell's back was exhilarating in fine, still weather.

For long distances he had a specific flight pattern: find a thermal updraft, ride on it in an ascending spiral until they were dizzily high (she knew this because Luffy said so) and then glide from the column of rising air toward where they wanted to go until they hit the next thermal current.*

That was for good weather. In a storm, the air currents buffeted the giant falcon-man and he was hard pressed to stay on course. This was also the point she decided she didn't like flying any more because while all these airborne manoeuvrings were going on, she was terrified out of her mind at the jerking and shaking. Part of it was because she couldn't see, and not having that source of input as to what was going on, her imagination ran wild with worst-case scenarios of Pell losing control and them all plummeting to their deaths.

"Do not be afraid," Pell said to her, noticing her uneasiness. "It will be all right. I won't let either of you fall."

"I'm not afraid," she tried to lie. A wave of nausea hit her. This was not a good time for her motion sickness to kick in but you really couldn't pick and choose when you wanted to be afflicted by these kinds of things. In the end she could only clutch on tightly, bury her face into Pell's feathered neck and trust in the royal guardian's flying skills. And pray she wouldn't throw up all over his back.

Luffy whooped in exhilaration behind her. He, at least, didn't seem to mind flying. She was almost envious at the way he could be so carefree in such dire circumstances.

_Just keep your emotions in control, your face an impregnable mask..._

"Ah Kuina?"

"Yes, Pell-san?"

"Your hold, could you relax it a little... ?"

"W... Wha- Oh. Oh! I didn't mean to... I'm so sorry!"

"It's all right. It was just getting a little difficult to breathe..." His apologetic tone only made it worse.

"Hey Kimono-chan! Why's your face turning red all of a sudden?"

Kuina fervently wished the ground wasn't hundreds of feet below her so it could open and swallow her up.

And she definitely did not like flying.

* * *

Alone. She was having to decide everything alone. How could Smoker had just thrust all that responsibility on her like this?

Tashigi had never seen a real, all-out war. The peacefulness of the East Blue and Captain Smoker's presence in scaring off most pirates saw to that. But she kept her head, directing her marine squadrons to cover the streets and back up the Royal Army. If the marines had to take sides, it would definitely have to be that of the rightful government of Alabasta.

"Any sign of Kuina?"

"No Ma'am."

Hopefully she had gone back to the ship. That would be the best-case scenario.

It would definitely be an improvement over the situation in Nanohana. The marines had found a town half-razed and ruined when they had arrived, intent on finding out what had happened to their missing officer.

The telegraph office was gone. It had been completely obliterated by a looted ship that had mysteriously crashed into the docks.

If there were corpses to be recovered from the ruins, the marines would have to invest a lot of time digging and moving the rubble to find them. Time that they did not have. In the end all Tashigi could do was do a cursory search, hold a moment's silence for Briggs, and move on to Alubarna.

* * *

In the streets of Alubarna, as the rebel army approached, Roronoa Zoro faced off against an opponent of a different level from what he was used to.

He detested opponents like this. A man whose devil-fruit was so absurdly unfair against a swordsman, and to cap it off, wasn't even a swordsman to begin with.

_"I don't want fair ... If we're going to be the greatest swordsmen in the world, none of our opponents are going to care a whit ..."_

No time for whining. If Daz Bones was made of steel, then he'd just have to learn to cut steel before this fight was over. That was all.

He placed the Wadou Ichiimonji into his mouth, tied the black bandanna, and got serious.

* * *

She had been hearing that sound for ages without realizing what it was.

It wasn't until Pell-san broke the silence and announced that they could just see Alubarna ahead did she understand the faint murmur that was raising to a dull roar was the sound of war.

It was horrific.

As Pell flew over the royal square, the tumult of the conflict roared below her, a teeming mass of humanity trying their best to kill each other. It was a forcible reminder that Pell's warning hadn't been just empty words, and the war was indeed as terrible as he had made it out to be. Below her, she could hear the voices by the thousands, and they were screaming. They were crying.

And one by one, the voices kept disappearing, tearing a little bit of her soul each time they did, because she knew by their silence that they had died.

"Kuina, are you alright? Your grip is slipping."

"Sorry! Sorry!" Kuina regained control over herself. For a moment, the concentrated rush of hatred and killing intent had nearly overwhelmed her. With her control over that Mantra ability being barely existent, she'd almost lost herself in the minds and emotions of everyone around her. A dangerous thing to let happen in mid-air.

"Thank you, Luffy-kun." The rubber-boy had been grasping her obi, just as a precaution in case she slipped off. "P-Pell, how will we find Vivi in all this chaos? I can't even make out a single voice."

"We'll head straight for the palace. At the very least, we can find Chaka and the King!"

Below her, another voice vanished, having been silenced by the bite of a palace guard's blade.

"I hope everyone's all right." Kuina grimaced, trying to block out the unwanted voices the Mantra was feeding her. She could barely manage.

"I'm sure they will. They're all strong." Luffy was so carefree.

"True. Knowing Zoro, he'll have found some new way of upstaging me by now," Kuina tried to joke as yet another voice vanished in her mind.

* * *

Far below where the falcon flew, Roronoa Zoro sheathed Wadou Ichimonji.

"Thank you," he said to his opponent.

The ability to cut through steel was now his.

As he slumped from the injuries sustained in his battle, he didn't know that not too far away, Vivi had stood before the dust-storm of approaching horsemen, staring death in the face. But the Crocodile's sandstorms had obscured all vision, and the rebel army had not seen the princess... nearly trampling her to death as a result. In fact, it would have been the end of the princess, if it hadn't been for the courage of Carue the riding duck.

He also wouldn't know that her successive attempts at stopping the war by approaching the royal palace would also be foiled by the same pirate warlord.

It wasn't fair either, but nothing in this entire war had been, really.

* * *

_How could anyone be this cruel?_

Below her, the crowds roared in rage as the people - _her_ people - fought in their misguided attempts to save the country by killing each other.

And all that was keeping Vivi from plummeting into their midst was Crocodile's chokehold on her throat.

That monster knew that having to witness this was killing her. And yet he had to make it worse.

Crocodile was the type of man who believed in overdoing things. As if pitting the people against each other wasn't enough, there was now the bomb...

The arm that held her up slowly dissolved into sand. Now she was hurtling through the air, her dear Papa's screams echoing in her ears, the screams of hatred below rushing up to receive her.

The Straw-Hat Pirates' efforts to get her to Alubarna had been for nothing. Just as Pell, Luffy, Chaka and Kohza's — _everyone's_ sacrifices had been.

It was over. She had failed. She closed her eyes and prepared for the end.

Except that is wasn't.

"VIVI!"

Her eyes snapped open. And there she saw, flying out of the sun, a fondly-remembered silhouette rushing towards her.

"Just in time!"

If it had been anyone else catching her, she might have been injured*, but thankfully it was _Luffy_ whose rubber body cushioned the impact and she survived the plummet.

"Vivi-sama, are you all right?"

"Luffy! Pell! You came!" Tears came to her eyes. All the people she had given up for lost - Pell... Luffy... they weren't dead. They were all right. And they were all _here_, along wit—

"Ahh..." For a moment the princess had to rack her mind for the name of the swordswoman from Rainbase.

"Kuina," the girl supplied between gritted teeth. Vivi noted she looked somewhat ill, in fact too distressed to be offended by the fact the princess had forgotten her name. But it really wasn't the time to be commenting on that. There was a war to stop and then the threat of the bomb. As they descended she told them of it.

"Luffy! You're all right!"

"I knew it!"

"Liar!"

They had landed in the square below. It was as if the arrival of the three had been the turning point in the battle. Vivi watched with increasing wonder as one by one, members of the Straw-Hats emerged from the dust-clouds, battered but alive.

"Kuina-kwun!"

"Kuina?"

"Prince-san! _Zoro_..."

"Kuina, this may not be the best time..." Zoro began.

"I was about to say you sound terrible. Did you just lose a fight with my sword?"

"No actually. I just defeated my devil-fruit user opponent by cutting through _solid steel_. With your sword."

"You're pulling my— you're not pulling my leg? You... you... _showoff_!"

"You were asking for it."

"You had better not have broken my heirloom sword, Roronoa Zoro!"

But any quibbling that might have taken place would have to wait until Luffy's extremely important announcement was over.

"Where's Crocodile? I'm gonna kick his ass!"

"Be careful, Luffy-kun."

"Don't worry, I ate a lot of meat." Turning to his assembled crew, the captain of the Straw-Hat Pirates continued speaking. "Sorry guys, I lost to that guy once. But I know his weakness now. I won't lose this time!"

"Hurry up with it then."

"He makes it sound so easy." Vivi could hear the soft mutter from Kuina at Zoro's remark.

"If anyone can defeat Crocodile, it would be he." Vivi was surprised to hear Pell's encouragement. "But in the meantime, we must tend to our other problem."

Vivi was promptly reminded of the other pressing matter at hand.

"Everyone, listen! There's a bomb! It's set to blow up in the square -"

That got everyone's attention. Well except for Luffy, who had already vaulted up to the wall to fight Crocodile.

And smacked the warlord right in the face.

It was possibly the most satisfying thing Vivi had ever seen. She only wished that they had the luxury of standing around and watching.

* * *

That boy was possibly the strangest person Miss All-Sunday had ever seen.

As much as she would have liked to stay and watch the ridiculous Water Luffy form, they had a schedule to keep. She had an appointment with a very ancient poneglyph in the tombs, and she had no desire to wait any longer to see it.

But like all things with a schedule, unexpected things happened keep them from occurring as planned.

In this case, the proverbial wrench in the works was a squad of marines, headed by one warrant-officer who was waving a sword.

* * *

Tashigi didn't need anyone to tell her that this must have been the woman Kuina had mentioned (so she was telling the truth somewhat). The multiple arms sprouting out of the man she held prisoner made it unmistakable.

Under these circumstances, no matter who that man was, there was only one thing to do.

"Let go of that man!" ordered Tashigi as the woman strolled down the Alabastan street as if she owned it.

The man however, seemed to have very little concern for his own life. Instead, he immediately addressed her: "Miss Marine, listen to me. There is a bomb set to blow within the hour. Do not worry about me. You must stop it!"

"Who are you?"

"There's no time, just go now! Please!"

"Uh, Officer Tashigi... I think that man's the King of Alabasta," one of her men said.

"And they've got the _King_ prisoner?"

Nico Robin answered for him."Yes. Now get out of my way."

"I won't let you!"

"You won't let me?" The woman repeated slowly and disdainfully. "I doubt you can stop me."

Her squad of men responded by aiming their rifles at the woman.

And then, a terrifying thing happened. One moment the world was normal and the marines had the upper hand. The next, a forest of disembodied limbs had sprouted out of nowhere and were suffocating and strangling the men before they could react.

Tashigi charged with Kashu in hand. Even if that woman had a devil-fruit power, if she could close the distance and take her down, they might have a chance.

But no such luck. Grasping hands pulled her feet out from under her, and when Tashigi attempted to get back up, those arms began attempting to _break_ her legs. It was the most excruciating pain she had ever felt in her life and Tashigi screamed wildly despite herself.

"You look familiar. But you move differently," she said conversationally, as if she wasn't in the middle of breaking the bones of multiple marines. "I met your doppelgänger back in Rainbase," she added. "She doesn't scream as shrilly as you do—"

_Crack. _Tashigi could feel something give way, but it hurt too much to tell what exactly.

"—but I don't think she did any better at fighting me either. I can't imagine why any of you even bother. None of you swordsmen—"

_Her own sword. That monster even turned her own sword against her! _

"—or should I say, swordswomen, are a match for me."

The realization came as a shock. Kuina, Miss Perfect Swordswoman herself, had lost to this monster?

At that moment she wanted to give up. If Kuina couldn't beat this woman, what hope did she, Tashigi, even have? Her body went limp in defeat as the truth sank in.

Taking it as the cue that the fight was over, Nico Robin smirked and started moving, forcing her prisoner, the king, to follow.

As the smug villain passed her, Tashigi was struck with the thought that she had given up because she knew Kuina had lost. Did she really look down on herself that much? Just because Kuina had failed didn't automatically mean she, Tashigi, would as well.

She made up her mind. She would not lose to that woman. Both of them. With the last of her strength Tashigi grasped the Nico Robin's booted leg as she passed.

"I won't let you go."

"Suit yourself. I won't either, then."

Hands. Strangling hands around her throat. Choking her, making her each gasp for air a desperate struggle. Those demonic arms had the advantage of leverage and numbers, she couldn't get them off as they slowly constricted around her neck.

The lack of air was making her head light and dizzy, the pressure on her throat brought blackness creeping around the edges of her vision. She was going to pass out and die. She was going to die a failure without ever having done anything worthwhile. And she was going to die alone.

A shot rang out.

The pressure on her throat ceased. As Tashigi gasped for breath she became conscious of a familiar voice.

"...get your hands off my subordinate. As in... literally."

"B-Briggs?"

The warrant-officer was standing on the edge of the building above them, his rifle taking aim at the devil-fruit user. He looked somewhat worse for wear, but otherwise functional.

Tashigi wanted to scream and warn him the woman was dangerous, guns were of no use and goddamnit she was NOT his subordinate, she held the same rank as him, but right now she really couldn't afford to be picky.

"That rifle is Baroque Works property," Nico Robin informed the interloper coolly, after taking him in.

"Actually, it's Rebel Army property now. But given that your lackeys crashed a weapons-carrier full of these right on top of me, and I might add, as in nearly _killing_ me, I think I'm entitled to keep one." Briggs kept the purloined rifle pointed right at the woman. "Poetic Justice, wouldn't you say?"

"Then Justice is foolish. You should have shot me when you had the chance," Miss All-Sunday replied scornfully.

Briggs ignored her rebuttal. "You're the Devil Child of Ohara, Nico Robin," he recited as though from memory. Given his know-it-all attitude, it seemed likely he'd memorized it all. "You have a bounty of 79 Million beli."

Nico Robin's eyes narrowed. She did not like to be reminded of this, apparently.

"Destroyed six evacuation ships full of civilians at the tender age of eight. Makes one wonder how much more of a monster you've turned out to be twenty years down the road."

No, Nico Robin did not take kindly to this at all, because in a heartbeat, arms had spouted out of Briggs' body and had wrested his own gun out of his hands. He was now looking down at her with the barrel pointed back at himself.

_Idiot! Idiot!_ Tashigi would have smacked herself on the forehead if she wasn't busy recovering from a bruised throat and legs that felt distinctly detached. _He had the chance and he blew it!_

But Briggs didn't seem duly concerned. In fact, he continued speaking, as though Nico Robin wasn't a trigger-press away from killing him. "And the power of a devil-fruit. Very interesting. Did you have it while you were still a child? Perhaps you were ostracised during your childhood because of it?"

Was he mad, deliberately pissing her off like that?

"Must have been hard, all those people of Ohara, and you... an outcast amongst your own. Was that why you killed them all when you had the chance? Revenge?"

She could see Nico Robin was trembling in rage now.

"Your analysis is flawed," the woman said, controlling her voice with effort, as though she was determined not to let the irritating man get to her.

But her remote hands also pulled the trigger.

* * *

The plan was so ludicrously simple. Luffy would take care of Crocodile, while everyone else focused on finding and disarming the bomb.

It was with burning shame that Kuina realized her supposed advantage of being able to use Mantra (if badly) and listen to almost inaudible sounds was turning out to be something of a hindrance instead. The reason? It had been rendered almost unusable in the cacophony of war.

Firstly, she could barely make out any identifiable sounds in the mayhem. It was just too much noise most of the time.

And secondly, even if she wanted to make use of Mantra to compensate, the voices in her head were close to driving her mad again.

They were different from how they had been in Rainbase. In Rainbase she could feel the deaths of the Baroque Works agents she had slain. And she had in fact reveled in it. But this, in the middle of war... it was like experiencing fleeting moments of dying over and over again.

She gritted her teeth. She couldn't fail now. Not when it counted. According to Vivi, if that bomb blew up, they'd all be dead. And she couldn't let that happen. Somehow, they had to find it.

As she stumbled around the square, a voice, familiar and welcome, leapt out from the dull roar of war. "Oi. What's up with you?"

"Zoro-kun," she acknowledged her childhood rival's presence. "There are many things I would like to say to you. But we'll get to settling the question of the ownership of that sword after all this has calmed down, all right?"

"Works with me. But you didn't answer my question."

"It's just... I can't make anything out in all this noise. It feels like I when I was getting used to being blind all over again, except this time it is with hearing."

"Baka! You should have said something!"

"Why are you worrying about _me_? Go find the bomb already!"

"As if I would let you wander around directionless in a place like this."

"Are _you_ lecturing_ me_ about being directionless?"

"Look, just shut up and come with me, okay? You can follow me and keep an eye out for the bomb as we run."

" ... "

Zoro smacked himself on the forehead.

"I mean, just help me look for it."

" … "

"Damnit..." he muttered as he gave up.

For a moment Kuina smiled despite her situation. Some things never changed. Zoro was still Zoro.

* * *

Tashigi gaped in horror as the gun went off.

The discharged rifle fell to the ground, the sprouted arms having vanished from its surface.

But instead of Briggs' head exploding from the point-blank shot, he had simply disappeared. For a wild moment Tashigi had thought the disappearance was due some special property of the rifle, but the way Nico Robin immediately went on guard indicated otherwise.

"It would seem," Nico Robin spoke at last, not to Tashigi, but to the foe that she could not see, "that our information network has failed us. We were told that there was only one devil-fruit user amongst your group of marines."

_Wait, what? What was the woman talking about? Briggs didn't have a Devil-fruit! _

"Ah, so those two minions of yours didn't report their encounter with me to you, did they?" Briggs' voice sounded far away and rather faint, but Tashigi could still hear the mocking smugness in his voice.

"Minions?" Nico Robin's eyes were narrowed as she sought to place her opponent.  
"I believe one of them was that famous assassin Daz Bones, and his companion was a woman with large hips and hair. Let's just say I interfered in their execution of a witness that might have fouled up your little plans, before engaging in a defensive feint manoeuvre—"

"You mean you picked a fight with them and then ran away," Nico Robin translated.

"Defensive feint manoeuvre! Unfortunately the combination of those two devil fruit users together was a bit inconvenient." The voice sounded slightly miffed. "And it wasn't my objective to defeat them at that time so I just did a bit of distracting, led them a merry chase and gave that rather important witness a chance at being rescued."*

Tashigi could tell by the way the Nico Robin's brow furrowed that she was now worried about the consequences of the two agents' negligence on their carefully laid plans.

"I can understand why they didn't report our little run-in to you however, as my devil-fruit abilities tend to have that effect on people," the disembodied voice clarified. Nico Robin immediately shifted her stance, trying to place the location of the speaker. "Even when they're in use no one really likes to be sure they saw me."

So Briggs had a devil-fruit after all. They'd been sailing for months together and there had never been any indication... that sneaky bastard had been holding out on them!

"Invisibility? No, that's not it..." She could hear Nico Robin mutter to herself.

"I'd resolved to never use this form again." A tall, thin shadow fell across the Baroque Works vice-president as he said this. "But since that flashy smoke logia's already gotten me to break my own vow, I guess there is no reason for me to hold back anymore, is there?"

The thing that had suddenly appeared behind Nico Robin was almost enough to make Tashigi scream. Its elongated form towered over them both, a nightmare vision of something that looked like a walking tree demon, or some animated six-legged eldritch entity made of sticks.

Yet there was something vaguely familiar about it that had Tashigi certain that that thing before her was Briggs. A fully-transformed devil-fruit form Briggs. And, it had to be said, an insufferably smug-looking Briggs, which almost ruined the terrifying effect he had been going for.

"Your run ends here," Briggs informed the woman. "I'm taking you down, Devil Child!"

Nico Robin did not panic. In the flash of flower petals, multiple arms had sprouted and held the transformed Briggs in a chokehold, a pair of arms for each joint, attempting to break the devil-fruit user's many limbs.

But she was not successful, on the choking at least, perhaps because of the thick bark-like armor that covered everything.

"Unluckily for you..." Briggs began grinning for the first time Tashigi had ever seen him doing, and the effect was so unusual it seemed a bit warped, "...you ran into me. You see, when it comes to devil-fruit battles, you never know how they match up. In terms of fighting ability my devil-fruit may not be anywhere near the top tiers, but ironically, I may be one of the worst combinations for you to fight."

Nico Robin did not answer, but merely tightened her grip.

"BLINDING MIST!"

A rather distinctive smell, somewhat between that of roasting coffee and burning butter, filled the air. Tashigi could feel her eyes water as she instinctively kept them shut. Nico Robin, however, let out a cry of pain and released her hold, her many sprouting appendages disappearing into nothingness.

"It burns and stings, doesn't it?" Tashigi sneaked a peek and saw that Briggs had closed the distance between him and Nico Robin. "If the burning spray makes contact with your eyes it's worse. As in, it causes blindness... which may be temporary. If you're lucky."

Nico Robin glared in return and folded her arms as she prepared to initiate another attack.

Briggs merely smiled grimly. "Of course you wouldn't go down that easily. Right. Let's see what you've got, Devil Child of Ohara."

* * *

"Kuina, did you find anything?" Pell asked as he swooped down from above.

Kuina shook her head. She had been trying her best to listen for what might have been the telltale sign of a ticking bomb. But no luck.

"I will keep trying, Pell-san."

"Who was that bird guy?" Zoro asked her after Pell had gone on in searching for the bomb from the skies.

"He's with Vivi," she replied, wondering why Zoro was suspicious.

"Right." They both lapsed into silence again as they concentrated on the search.

Time was running out.

* * *

Tashigi watched as Nico Robin grimaced in pain at the burning spray. It had proved a major deterrent in the use of the woman's trademark attack, but the Baroque Works agent had figured out that the amount of pain she experienced from Briggs' chemical spray was directly proportional to how much surface area made contact with it. So she had changed tactics and was focusing on breaking one limb at a time while using a minimal number of sprouted arms to stay under her pain threshold.

This was how, despite the deployment of more of the burning spray, she had succeeded in twisting Briggs' arm behind his back. Tashigi could hear the marine grunt in pain and drop to his knees.

But Briggs appeared to have a fairly high pain threshold of his own and it didn't seem to faze him much more than that. In fact, even as he fell Tashigi saw him shift his weight to his multiple other insect-like arm/legs (one of which Nico Robin was still trying to break) and use his long legs to sweep kick Nico Robin off the ground.

It was with great satisfaction that Tashigi saw the hated woman hit the dirt. Faster than one would have believed for a creature so long and tall, Briggs was already on top of her, his good hand outstretched and ready to deploy his strange burning chemical spray ability.

The fight was over, and Nico Robin knew it. But in defeat the woman still retained her composure.

"At first I had thought you had some sort of tree-related devil fruit. But you really are an insect-type Zoan, aren't you?" said she, calmly staring Briggs down despite the risk of being blinded.

"I'm impressed, Nico Robin. You are correct. I ate the Mushi-Mushi fruit, Model: Stick-Insect. You're the first one who managed to identify it so quickly and accurately, " said the warrant-officer as he brought his elongated arm to the level of her eyes. "The genius of Ohara at work perhaps?"

She merely glared at him defiantly, cold hatred in her eyes.

"Well, what ever it is, this is the end for you, Devil Child. I should thank you. My capturing you here today is going to assure me my promotion to—"

"—SABLES!"

The sand-devil that had sprung up from nowhere caught the stick-insect-man unawares and flung him into a nearby wall.

"I hear that in the marine corps, they give double promotions posthumously," a voice, deep and mocking, announced its owner's presence.

When Tashigi saw who it was, her heart sank.

"Of course, that would suit you just fine, wouldn't it - former Marine Headquarters Captain 'Barkskin' Briggs?" said Crocodile.

* * *

_**To Be Continued... **_

* * *

*Chapter Footnotes:

**[1] Riding thermal wind currents = **This is how raptors really fly long-distance in real life. Not so much a straight line from point A to B, since they are huge birds and need to conserve energy by making use of the wind currents.

**[2] **_**I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms =** _If you recognized the quote without having to refer to this footnote, then give yourself and 'awesome' award. Yes, that is indeed a reference to the _Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair_

**[3] **_**Tashigi, just like everyone else on board was probably just being weird =** _Given the circumstances, _Kuina_ was actually the one being abnormal.

**[4] If it had been anyone else catching her, she might have been injured =** It's not the fall that kills you, but the sudden stop at the end...

**[5] "...led them a merry chase and gave that rather important witness a chance at being rescued" =** There had to be a logical explanation why two infamous assassins utterly failed in assassinating a defenseless little kid.

* * *

_**Well here we are, it's been another 2 months, and hope you enjoyed the new chapter. I was hoping to get it out before the 2 month mark, but things just happened to delay it.**_

_**Here's some original art as an apology. Briggs' hybrid form: pingteo(dot)deviantart(dot)com/#/d3efox4**_

_**Special thanks need to go to my wonderful betas, callosum and tonsostuff, who both had to suffer me and my rushing ;) Thanks guys, I am really grateful for your help with this chapter!**_

_**Because I'm lazy, I changed the format of the Q and A so it's easier for me to compile. We start with some older questions that I deliberately chose not to answer for fear of spoilers:**_

* * *

**Anzer'ke** (2010-08-28 . chapter 9) The one problem I can see is that you seem to have introduced two powerful characters (Briggs-who I'm guessing is the second most powerful in Smoker's crew-and Kuina) to the events of Arabasta and that's gonna make things very intersting indeed considering how balanced all the fights were. I'll wait and see if that's a good thing or not.

**A:** You know when you first deduced this all those chapters ago, I was quite surprised, I didn't think anyone would figure all that out from the single line said by Smoker. And yet I did put in that clue for that purpose, and I am incredibly pleased that you followed the line of reasoning perfectly. Well done, sorry I couldn't confirm it until now as not to spoil the surprise. Now let's see if I can handle that balancing act, eh?

* * *

**Pom Rania** (2010-08-29 . chapter 9) Tree-man DF power. Reminds me of Slender Man. Wish you'd expounded on his ability a bit more, but he was a really minor side character after all. (And I got a chance to say "expounded" in a review yay.)

**A: **As it turns now, you were one of the few who noticed that particular bit of foreshadowing of a not-so minor character after all ;) I guess we can consider his ability 'expounded' now, it just took me 3 chapters to get around to it!

* * *

**Henna89** (2011-03-20 . chapter 11) Kuina at the moment is so mentally unstable that it's hard to guess what happens next. If she somehow decides to go with them, it is going to be a freaking experience to fly with Pell. She is easily sea sick and I suppose blind person feels insecure up in the air.

**A**: Nicely remembered! I made a special note to include this in the flying scene just for you ;)

* * *

**eternitybeckons** (2011-02-06 . chapter 11) Was the boy Ichii referring to Enel?

**A:** Yes. She was. ;)

* * *

**Memories-of-the-Shadows** (2011-02-08 . chapter 11) Sanji is freakin' hilarious. I really want to see him get beaten up by Zoro for flirting with Kuina. And after Zoro told him that Kuina was off limits too... (shishishishishi)

**A:** Your wish is my command ;) I managed to fit it in (well sort of) since it was such a likely thing to happen.

* * *

**Lupus-Cantus-Grimoure (**2011-02-17 . chapter 10) the pairing is Kuina and Zoro but with all that is happening there relationship could be like brother and sister though secretly i am aiming for a Kuina/Pell... don't look at me like that!

**A:** Well, a pairing needn't necessarily be romantic. I view Kuina and Zoro's relationship as more of the sibling type (as shown in this chapter). Also, thank you for the second part, at least I no longer feel like I'm the only crazy one ^_^;;

* * *

**Vi-Violence** (2011-03-02 . chapter 11) I really hope you update soon, maybe shorter chapters would help?

**A:** The thing about TABCF is that the chapter length is determined by the first-line-echoing-the-last-line device this entire fic runs on. I can't cut a chapter in half like I do for my other fics if I feel they get too long. So yeah, sorry about the length, but on the plus side, I am more or less regular in producing a chapter every 2 months or so.

* * *

**Murazor (**2011-02-25 . chapter 11) [Awesome concrit here...] There are spelling mistakes and such that seem to slip past the beta work.

**A:** Thanks. Those are probably my mistakes before I got betas. I have to go back and rewrite the previous chapters when I have time. At least clean them up. On that note, everyone, feel free to point on mistakes from previous chapters if you can. It'll help the process.

* * *

**Pom Rania (**2011-03-03 . chapter 11) Did you get Marie from the Sabaondy arc, or did you just make her up?

**Miyu Hinamori **(2011-02-06 . chapter 11) Did Marie appear in One Piece or is she an OC?

**A:** Marie is not an OC. :) That's all I am saying for now.

* * *

**xShurikenx (**2011-02-06 . chapter 11)

The Mr. Prince thing is ridiculously well set up :DDDD and she thinks that when Sanji's insulting Zoro he means Luffy XD and she thinks that the evil pirate is Luffy not Crocodile XDDDD

**A: **Kuina is definitely getting a "FAIL" in communication skills XD But it worked out for her after all!

* * *

_**And that's it. I'm really exhausted, so no more babbling from me. Do review and make me feel better ;) And see you guys next chapter!**_


	13. Hidden Depths

_**A/N: Just a quick warning, there will be a little bit more strong language and violence in this chapter than usual. Those of you who are used to my other works probably won't be surprised at all, and by most standards I think it's actually pretty tame. But I thought I'd just mention it so no one gets offended.**_

_**And with that out of the way, here's today's Bonus Art, as requested by Pom Rania: Death Note Luffy! ( pingteo(dot)deviantart(dot)com/#/d3fc5z1 )**_

_**To make it easier I've also included clickable links to all the art pieces on my profile. Yay! (Scroll down till you get to the arts section)**_

* * *

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will. **

**Chapter 13: Hidden Depths**

* * *

_It was a long-held superstition of Loguetown that the foul weather in those parts was a herald of misfortune. In fact, the older residents of Loguetown always insisted that you knew whenever something bad was going to happen, because when it did, the rain fell._

_The weather should have been the first indication for Tashigi that it would not be a good day. The air was muggy with the kind of pent-up heat that was always followed by a vicious, lashing rainstorm._

_Sure enough, before the sun even made its way up to its noon seat, she was already wondering if it was going to be one of those days. She'd tripped over more things than usual, misplaced Shigure, showed up for the wrong training session and made of a fool out of herself in front of the men._

_But those were minor things compared to the scene she'd walked into when she entered Smoker's office. Even with Smoker's short-fuse, it was something of a shock to find him wildly yelling at the den-den mushi in a wild manner quite unlike his normal self._

"_-they can't be serious!"_

"_Yes. They're going ahead with the court-martial. The official charge is 'negligence in the loss of the Golden Hind and its crew'," the den-den mushi, which seemed to have developed sweeping eyelashes and mysteriously gained a cigarette, was calmly reading out the charges._

"_That's bullshit! We've all read the reports! Sure, some of the responsibility falls on him as the captain, but his actions afterward couldn't be faulted! Blaming it all on Barkskin is just-"_

"_-absolute justice as they say. There's not much Hina can do. You know how High Command, especially Admiral Sakazuki's camp, is."_

"_And Barkskin's just **taking** it?"_

"_Hina tried talking sense to him at the hospital. All he says is he doesn't need any help."_

"_Same old proud, stuck-up prat."_

"_Smoker, Hina needs to go now. Don't do anything stupid. Hina has enough to do without having to bail you out again."_

_Smoker scowled at the den-den mushi as it went silent, and then finally turned towards where Tashigi stood nervously at the door._

"_You heard all that?"_

"_Not quite, sir. Only the later part. What happened? Who's getting court-martialled?"_

"_An old acquaintance of mine from the marine academy, Captain Barkskin..." Smoker said at last, lighting a third cigar. "Damn fool lost his ship to a pirate." _

_Even then it had seemed a bit odd. Marines lost ships to pirates from time to time, and a court-martial seemed excessive. Of course, that was only the first report Tashigi had heard of what would become the infamous Golden Hind Incident. _

_She never did know the full consequences of that particular disaster, but never in a hundred years would she have guessed how it would come to affect her a year later._

* * *

Just as you thought you knew someone... they turn around and surprise you. For almost a year Tashigi had been working with Briggs, whom she had assumed to be just a warrant-officer who had transferred from another base (for being obnoxious, she had presumed). It was something of a shock for her to discover that he and the Captain Barkskin mentioned over a year ago were one and the same person.

That he had once actually had held the same rank as Smoker was definitely something she never could have guessed. But Briggs' previous allusions to Marine HQ and and his experience of the Grand Line suddenly made a lot of sense now.

She had often wondered why Smoker, who was usually quite intolerant of irritating people, had put up with someone like Briggs. Now she knew. In hindsight it became obvious that the two of them must have had history.

But this was not the time for introspection. Crocodile's appearance on the scene had turned the winning scenario on its head. And he wasn't the type to stand idly by and let his opponents gather themselves for a counterattack.

"DESERT ESPADA!"

It was a blade of moving sand, and Tashigi had no doubt that anything it made contact with would reduced to nothing but a trail of blood in its wake.

In this case, the person in very real danger of being hit was the still-stunned Briggs, who barely had enough time to see the attack coming as he recovered from being tossed into the wall.

"BRIGGS! Behind you!"

The wall exploded into a cloud of sand, crumbling into mess of broken bricks. But there was no blood.

Just a falling shadow.

Before Tashigi understood what was happening, something freakishly tall had landed beside her in a flurry of wings that were a rather unmanly shade of fuchsia.

"Brig-gaaah!"

Briggs had grabbed her and before she had time to even register what he was doing, they were both already in mid-air, high above the tops of the buildings. Unlike how Tashigi had ever imagined flight to be, the two of them seemed to be performing some sort of extremely high jump with a slowed descent.

But one thing did bear commenting on even in her shocked state. "Y-you have pink wings..." Tashigi stammered through the rush of wind and wings in her ears.

"It's not true flight, it's wing-assisted jumping," Briggs replied, apparently not listening to her and assuming she would be stating the obvious. "Can't stay in air for long... as in- wait, what did you say about my wings?"

She never had a chance to reply, as Briggs had landed on his feet with a jarring thud. Tashigi, ignominiously tucked under one of his distinctly creepy insect-arms, decided that travelling this way was one of the most shaky, dizzying and nauseating forms of motion she had ever had the misfortune to experience.

They had landed next to the man- the_ king,_ who Nico Robin had been holding captive. Throughout Briggs' and Nico Robin's fight, he had been restrained and forced to stay on the sidelines, but with Nico Robin's earlier defeat, he was now free of the devilish arms that had been forcing him along. She didn't have time to think very much about that, because Briggs, just as quickly as he had done with her, had snatched up the astonished royal, and all three of them were high up in the air again.

"Briggs, _what are you doing?_" Tashigi shrieked as they reached the high-point of his jump.

"What does it look like I'm doing? We're escaping!"

"But you have a devil-fruit-"

"A stick-insect zoan! Against a bloody sand logia? Are you stupid or something? I don't have a chance in hell of defeating Crocodile!"

The insect-man's voice was rather panicky, she noted. Suddenly it reminded her of the incident when they crossed the Calm Belt, when Briggs had panicked at seeing the wave about to crash into their ship. This time, Crocodile was the wave.

"What-?" With a sudden jerking stop, they had ceased moving through the air. Tashigi looked down to see a daisy-chain of arms holding fast to Briggs' ankle. Just as two more arms sprouted out of Briggs' back and trapped his wings against it.

"Oh, bollocks-" began her colleague as gravity reasserted itself.

There was nothing she, Briggs, or anyone could do in this situation. That last thing Tashigi was conscious of was the ground rushing up to meet them, and Briggs' escalating string of curses as they crashed-landed. Hard.

* * *

When Tashigi came to, she almost wished she hadn't. Everything hurt. But even as her senses returned to her, she realized she couldn't have been out for more than a few seconds.

Groaning in pain, Tashigi picked herself up. In the corner of her eye, she could see multiple arms appear from nowhere and drag away the king of Alabasta.

"You... bloody witch... " Briggs too, was recovering from the fall. Black blood was running down one side of his face where one of the antenna-like things on his head had snapped off.

"So you're a big believer of discretion being the better part of valour, are you?" Nico Robin's voice had an overtone of triumph to it.

"Touche. I presume that was payback for the thrashing I gave you just now?"

Nico Robin looked disdainful. "Don't flatter yourself. I am simply carrying out my mission and I really can't have you running away with my prisoner. By the way, Mr. Barkskin, I've figured out something about your 'burning mist' ability. You can't use it when you have allies in close proximity, can you?"

Tashigi had barely enough time to see the split-second "oh crap" look on Briggs' face before he disappeared beneath a forest of strangling arms.

"Shit! Tashigi, get away! Get los-" here he couldn't continue because one of Nico Robin's arms had chosen that moment to wallop him right across the face.

Belatedly realising she was a liability, Tashigi turned to run, but found her legs firmly anchored to the ground by Nico Robin's devil-fruit arms.

"You stay there. I need the insurance," Nico Robin said calmly as she resumed trying to snap Briggs' arm, the same one she had attempted to break earlier.

"You're especially vindictive today, woman." Crocodile was watching the proceedings with an air of amusement.

"I just don't like people who think they so smart and know everything, but can't even get their facts right," replied his partner, with a little more vim than usual.

"Oh, I know enough... about you forked-tongued... Oharan devils!" Briggs snarled back with gritted teeth, "It was you Oharans' corrupting influence that made even someone like Vice Admiral Saul turncoat!"

If Nico Robin had been angry before, she was in a complete cold fury now.

"Do not speak to me of Ohara!" said the woman, her tone murderous. "or Saul, for that matter." Her words were interspersed with exclamations of pain from her victim as her sprouted arms increased in their efforts. She was rewarded with a yell of pain as the arm was twisted about five degrees in angle it really shouldn't have been able to go.

Tashigi felt absolutely helpless, and sick to her stomach at being forced to witness this. Even if Briggs did seem to be bringing it on himself, you had to have a heart of stone not to feel for the man's predicament. And any moment now, his arm was going to be twisted right around and snapped clean off...

Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, Briggs, and the mass of arms that had been holding him captive, suddenly vanished into thin air.

Both women stared at the empty space for a moment. Tashigi in puzzlement, and Nico Robin in frustration.

"Tch. He disappeared again. I forgot he had that ability as well."

Truth be told Tashigi had forgotten about it herself. She did hope however, that Briggs' devil-fruit could give him the ability to escape safely, even if it did leave her in something a bind. Nico Robin's arms had returned to her side, but she did not cancel the other effects of her devil-fruit power. Tashigi's legs were still being tightly restrained.

Crocodile however, did not seem very impressed. "If he's a zoan, then I have a very good idea what just happened." Lazily, the warlord dissipated, sending clouds of sand flying in every direction. For a moment, there were only the two women and the captive king standing in the middle of the street. And just as suddenly, Crocodile reformed in the distance, clutching something firmly in his fist. "Got you! Thought you could slip past, did you?"

The warlord's fist exploded into a shower of sand as that something tiny- an insect, that had been enclosed in it, explosively expanded.

"A tiny, squish-able insect? That is one pathetically weak full-zoan form," Crocodile mocked.

"Hmph. I make the best out of what I get." Briggs had morphed back into his giant half-human form, one of his hands holding the other arm at the shoulder. Tashigi couldn't help but notice the way it was dangling rather uselessly. If Doctor Francis were here, he would probably have diagnosed it as being broken or dislocated. "And you got lucky. My camouflage doesn't work as well here as where there are... you know, actual _trees_ about. Otherwise, you'd never have found me."

"_Lucky_?" Crocodile sounded as though he couldn't believe the marine's gall. "Heh. We'll just see about that. Nico Robin, I'm going to be taking a moment to squash this irritating little bug under my heel. You'd better get moving to the tombs."

"He's all yours." the woman replied in a voice that implied she wouldn't like to be in the marine's shoes.

Tashigi felt the grip on her ankle disappear. Nico Robin was moving along the street, with the king forced to march along with her. For a moment Tashigi couldn't understand why that evil woman had released her. Then she realized, to her mortification, that it was because Nico Robin didn't even see her as a threat anymore. In a way she was right. Without her sword there wasn't really much Tashigi could do.

But she could see her sword Kashu lying abandoned in the dirt, some distance away. She began inching towards it.

Behind her, a very one-sided battle had erupted between the two devil-fruit users. Briggs was mostly focusing on dodging Crocodile's attacks, and didn't seem able to counter with any attacks of his own.

Until Crocodile suddenly charged head-on. Almost by reflex, Briggs raised his good arm in a defensive stance.

"Burning Mist!"

But Crocodile didn't even flinch as he charged through the cloud of corrosive liquid. Tashigi saw Briggs realise this and attempt to dodge out of the way, but the warlord simply dived under Brigg's outstretched arm and grabbed the insect-man's other, broken arm so that he couldn't move away in time.

"Well that stung a little," said Crocodile lazily. "Tell me, Mr. Know-It-All, do you know what my right hand does?"

"It... absorbs moisture." Even in dire straits Encyclopedia Briggs' information-dispensing characteristics stayed true to form.

"Good. I'm so glad I don't have to explain _this_ to you."

Tashigi watched, in what seemed like horrifying slow motion, as the entire limb began to shrivel. In desperation, Briggs raised his other hand and attempted to punch through Crocodile's face to make him release it, but with no effect. The alarming withering continued to spread.

"Briggs!" She couldn't just stand there helplessly while her colleague was reduced to a mummy before her eyes. Thinking quickly, Tashigi snatched up Kashu, and ignoring the pain in her leg, charged the warlord.

Her strategy had been to cut off Crocodile's right hand and free Briggs, but the insect-man had read her intention. With unexpected swiftness, he wrenched himself free and staggered in Tashigi's direction.

As Briggs stumbled towards her, shifting out of his zoan hybrid form into his human one, all Tashigi's horrified mind could register was that Briggs' withered arm had been torn off at the shoulder and was still left clutched in Crocodile's hand. Yet despite this grievous injury, instead of scrambling to safety, the maimed marine officer deliberately stood in the way between her and Crocodile, effectively blocking her attack.

"Tashigi … stay out of this fight," Briggs gasped, his now-human face pale and partially withered from Crocodile's attack. In fact, he looked almost more grotesque than his devil-fruit form. "Don't... get involved."

"Briggs, this is not the time to be ... be ... _you!_ I can fight!"

In response, he whirled around and dropped her with a punch to the gut.

Tears filled Tashigi's eyes as she doubled in pain and fell to her knees at the unexpected attack.

"For the record it's not because you're a woman, but for stupidity's sake! Open your bloody eyes! This is the Grand Line! Swords cannot harm that man, and he WILL kill you if you interfere!"

Then in a low whisper that she could barely hear: "No sense doing anything by half-measures. I'll occupy Crocodile. You stay down, wait till it's clear and then... _go!_"

It didn't make any sense. Her selfish, arrogant and thoroughly unpleasant colleague was preparing to die fighting Crocodile for her. Why would someone like Briggs even...?

"W-why are you are you doing this?"

His answer was the last thing she expected. "Because Smoker is a royal pain in the ass, that's why."

* * *

_The door to the navigator's room burst open._

"_Captain, you're dripping water all over the floor," Briggs complained, barely looking up from his maps. "Couldn't bother to change after that swim of yours in the Calm Belt?"_

_Smoker wordlessly walked up to the desk and slammed his fist into it, sending papers and pens flying._

"_**What is your problem**?" snarled the navigator as he scrambled to save his work._

"_Tashigi nearly got herself eaten by a sea-king back there trying to save me just now, Briggs. **That's the problem!**"_

"_I dare say. That foolish girl's far too impulsive, just jumps into situations that are way over her head."_

_Smoker's response was to grip the man by the collar and throw him out of the navigator's chair and onto the floor._

"_Have you gone mad?" Briggs was backing away slowly after he had righted himself._

"_Stop playing around already, Briggs. You know perfectly well that all THAT could have been over in seconds if you weren't such a stubborn jackass! It's one thing to hold a grudge against marine High Command. But when a sea-king that shouldn't even have been a problem for you to handle comes by, and you just keep holding out and putting the lives of my men in danger, THAT'S GOING TOO FAR!"_

"_Hey, I shot at it like a normal lowly warrant-officer would have, didn't I?"_

"_Except you're not."_

"_Except I am now! Bloody hell, Smoker! If you're so upset over your proteges nearly getting themselves killed, maybe you should have bothered training them with a more realistic assessment of their own abilities!" Briggs retorted hotly. "But no, instead you had to go and add a new protege to your collection now, as in next thing you know that backwater fisherman's going to think he can take on the an entire army because you said so! Well if you want to lead your men to their deaths, that's your problem, not mine, the way I do things, my own people can take care of-"_

"_My proteges didn't get my own crew to mutiny against me, Captain Barkskin."_

_There was an awful hush in the navigator's room, as if Smoker just had crossed the line._

"_That was low, Smoker," Briggs said at last, although his voice had lost its arrogant edge. _

"_Yes, it was," Smoker admitted._

"_You knew my terms when you got me into this madman's endeavour with you. No means no. Never again." The navigator's hands were clenched as he said this._

_Smoker remained undaunted."Briggs... how you want to spite the higher-ups is none of my business," the captain said as he paused on his way out the door. "But Tashigi and the others are members of my crew. And so are you. They're your people now. Remember that."_

* * *

"Y-You..."

Briggs was still speaking in a low whisper. "Don't argue with me! The king ... you heard what he said… the outcome of this fight isn't important. We'll all be dead anyway unless someone can stop the bomb-"

"-now don't go spoiling my fun, Barkskin." Crocodile, using Briggs' own detached arm as a grotesque club, had savagely struck the man from behind and sent him sprawling into the sand. Then he turned to Tashigi, who despite herself, had given an involuntary scream. "Well, do we have a new challenger?*"

Tashigi froze with fear. Part of her wanted to pick up her sword and run Crocodile through with it, while the other part knew very clearly that it would be futile. Briggs was right, she had no chance of defeating that man.

"Where's that boss of yours? Did he run away with his tail between his legs and leave you and this washed-up has-been to handle things?"

"Smoker-san did not run away!"

Only dry, mocking laughter in response to her protest. "Oh really? Why don't you ask your one-handed disgrace over there if he thinks the same? After all, he would know all about that," Crocodile smirked, turning to Briggs, who was trying to get back on his feet. "Wouldn't you, Barkskin? I thought Marine HQ kicked you out of the Grand Line after the Golden Hind incident."

"I'm sorry, Crocodile... you were talking about a washed-up has-been without a hand? And who got kicked out of the an ocean he couldn't handle-" Tashigi knew Briggs was trying to shift Crocodile's attention from her back to himself, but he must have some sort of death-wish to resort to that line of taunting. "-are we talking about me, or you by Whitebeard?"

Briggs really did have a remarkable talent for pissing people off, Tashigi reflected. Even _she_ could detect the change in Crocodile's composure at this jibe.

"Hit a nerve, did I?" It was defiant mocking, done the way only that maddening man knew how.

Crocodile seemed to agree. "I've... had _quite_ enough of that mouth of yours."

"If you want me to shut up, Mr. New World Reject, you'll have to catch me first," taunted Briggs, right before he turned around, transformed and fled with Crocodile in hot pursuit.

Leaving Tashigi alone, and feeling more confused and lost than she had ever been in her life.

* * *

The first time it happened, Kuina had brushed it off. The voices were disappearing in her head at an alarming rate, and one more really didn't make much of a difference. At least, that was what she told herself, even though her heart was telling her to pay attention, because the voice that had disappeared was _special_.

But she couldn't figure out whose voice it was, except that it was familiar. She hoped it was not Luffy's, because it did not bode well for the progress of his fight with Crocodile. So she said nothing, because Zoro was next to her and instinct told her not to bring it up when she was unsure of anything.

The second time it happened was much later when out of the muddle of voices, she thought she recognized another familiar one. But just as she caught the snatch of sound, it had disappeared. Another unidentified voice disappearing into the horrible nothingness.

She wondered whose voice it had been.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Zoro's voice cut through the dull roar of the war.

"Huh?"

"You're slowing down and dragging your feet. Are you tired?"

"Me? No! It's just... do you think the others will be all right?"

Zoro's voice was terse. Every moment was now a moment closer to destruction. "If we don't find the bomb, it won't matter... but I have faith in my crew."

_Crew_. It reminded Kuina of the fact that somewhere in this great city, Tashigi and _her_ crew of marines were probably running about doing... goodness-knew-what. With a cold thrill of fear she suddenly realised that if they failed to stop the bomb, Tashigi and the rest of the crewmen she had come to know, would be dead before they even knew what was coming.

Was Captain Smoker around as well? Could a bomb kill even a logia user like him?

As Kuina ran alongside Zoro and searched, she fervently hoped that all of _her_ crew would come out of this alive.

* * *

"Still alive, Barkskin?"

The remaining hand of the battered figure that was lying prone on the ground twitched, before shakily forming a very rude gesture. It was promptly stomped upon by a very expensive shoe.

"Impertinent," Crocodile resumed grinding his victim's face deeper into the dirt with his other heel. "I'll give you credit for one thing, you haven't begged for your life so far."

"... pirate trash... like you? Keep... dreami-"

Crocodile chose this moment to pick Briggs up by the back of his head, only to slam him face-first into the ground again. The marine groaned, then finally lay still, as if inviting Crocodile's inevitable _coup de grace._

But it never happened.

"What're you... waiting for then? Finish... it..."

Crocodile kicked his defeated opponent over so he could laugh in his face. "Oh no, death by my hands really is a bit too good for a worm like you, Barkskin. Killed by a shichibukai? That was what you wanted, wasn't it? Dying a hero?" The warlord gave another dry, nasty laugh and continued, "no, you can just lie here and wait to die when the bomb explodes, just like everybody else... Yes, lie there and die in disgrace, knowing that the rest of your men abandoned you. Again."

With this Crocodile laughed, turned on his heel and left the expiring marine officer lying like a limp rag doll in the dust.

"That is... if you last that long."

* * *

Tashigi stumbled through the streets of Alubarna, past the bodies of men, unheeding of the conflict that raged on either side of her.

_Useless. She was completely useless._

Never had she loathed herself as much as she did now. She was supposed to be a warrant-officer, a Marine who had been considered the best swordsman in the Loguetown base. And yet in the midst of this war, not only had she been unable to help at all...

...she'd been _dead-weight_.

Now all she could do was run blindly around this massive city looking for a bomb she had no idea how to stop.

_Captain Smoker... Why did you trust me to run things? I'm useless!_

"Where's Crocodile?"

Tashigi's eyes widened as she recognized the boy in front of her. It was Straw-Hat Luffy.

How long had she been standing there wallowing in useless self-pity? Here was a chance for her to redeem herself at last. Maybe she couldn't stop Nico Robin. Maybe she couldn't even find that bomb, but at least she could apprehend the pirate they had chased all the way from Loguetown-

"Sword-chan, where did that stinking Crocodile go? I lost just now but I need to find him again and beat him!"

_Beat him? Beat the invincible warlord? Is he serious?_

"He's-" Tashigi's mind was trying to adapt to her current situation. She pointed to the direction she had come from "-there. Wait no, he was there, but he'll have killed Briggs by now. He'll be heading on to the Tombs. That way."

"Thanks!" Without a second's hesitation, the boy was running in the direction she had pointed.

Then a shiver of horror ran through her. What had she just done? She, a marine... helped a pirate?

What was she doing just letting him get away?

_No, that isn't important right now, _she reminded herself._ The bomb. That's the important thing. _

Even if she could catch Straw-Hat, if it detonated, they'd all be dead anyway.

"How much time do we have left to stop that damn thing?" A voice filtered through the dull roar of the battle in the distance.

That voice... it sounded like Roronoa Zoro.

Tashigi soon spied a familiar silhouette moving through the dust clouds towards her. As the figure came closer she could see it was indeed her long sought-after quarry, and he was accompanied by another person who looked extremely familiar...

"Zoro-kun, are you sure we're heading the right way? The noises are getting softer..."

_Kuina_?

"Yeah, don't worry about that! Just focus on finding the bomb- oh crap!"

He had spotted her and promptly froze like a startled deer that had been caught out in the open.

"What is it?" said Kuina. For some reason Tashigi's rival seemed rather disoriented and hadn't sensed her presence.

"W-We're going this way."

Tashigi saw the burly swordsman grab her rival's arm and pull her away in the opposite direction. There was no mistaking their body language. It was friendly.

First Straw-Hat was looking for Crocodile, and now Roronoa and Kuina had teamed up to look for the bomb? That girl was unbelievable! And she was supposed to report to her if she made it to Alubarna!

For a moment Tashigi felt a sense of vindication. So Kuina was up to something after all. _Insubordination. Consorting with the enemy. _Once this war was over, she, Tashigi, would have enough grounds to get Ms. Perfect Swordswoman thrown out of the marines.

That was, if they ever got out of this alive.

Suddenly it sank in that she was being incredibly petty, and this wasn't the time. The lives of everyone in the city, including the marines she had brought with her, were dependent on her making the right choice. She wasn't going to screw up. Not when what she needed to do had already been told to her so plainly.

If the Straw-Hat pirates were working against Crocodile and trying to find the bomb too, there was only one thing she could do.

_Help them._

Tashigi reached for the baby den-den mushi in her pocket, and began making calls.

* * *

"Puru-Puru-Puru..."

"Uh oh."

"You have a baby den-den mushi?"

"Be quiet! I'm not supposed to be- Oh. Tashigi-san! Yes I know I was supposed to have called you when I got to Alubarna but... oh. Erm..." Kuina trailed off, as if at a loss for words at what was being said by her superior officer on the the other side of the line.

"Y- yes Ma'am. We'll move that way at once."

There was a pause as Kuina turned away from the little communication snail.

"Zoro-kun, you got us lost, didn't you?"

"I didn't get us lost- "

"That was Tashigi-san. She says she can see us, and we're running the wrong way and out of the city."

There was a pause as Zoro turned around.

"Wha- How did the city get so far away?"

"She also says she cannot believe you have a sense of direction that bad and your swords must be crying at being carried around by an imbecile like you."

"Why that- TELL HER TO SHUT THE HELL UP!"

But they also turned around and ran back towards the city.

* * *

Nico Robin lay on the cold floor of the Tombs, her lifeblood spreading out in a crimson puddle beneath her.

So this was how her end would be. With the failed backstabbing of a man who had planned to betray her from the very beginning.

The Poneglyph hadn't been the one she was looking for. But at the very least, she'd managed to deny Crocodile what he sought. The secrets of Pluton would die with her and that_ monster_ would never lay his hands on it.

Even if the world had rejected her, she still could never have unleashed such a horror upon it. Not out of spite. Not even for revenge. No, even when she had nothing to lose, she would not be what that damned know-it-all marine- no, the _whole world_ believed she was.

Not a criminal. Not a murderer. Not a devil.

Just a woman tired of hunting for the truth, and being hunted for it.

Perhaps it was fate that at least, she should die in a tomb rich with the historical significance that she revered.

But if she thought that she could just expire quietly there and then, she soon found herself to be mistaken. A section of the wall suddenly caved, and that strange rubber-boy, Monkey D. Luffy, made his entrance.

"CROCODILE!"

A rematch was on. For the satisfaction of seeing Crocodile get his comeuppance, Nico Robin hung on to life for a little while longer.

* * *

"There he is! It's Roronoa Zoro!"

"Great, marines ahead. You'd better let me fight them so you won't get in trouble with your troop!" Zoro said to Kuina as both of them raced down the street. Hopefully, they were moving in the right direction this time.

"Actually, I think I already _am_ in trouble," said Kuina. She was still thinking over what she would say to Tashigi if they met again when she suddenly realized that there was no hostile intent emanating from the marines who barred their path. Had they recognized her?

However, as it turned out, it was not her the marines were focusing on. "Roronoa Zoro! We were told you had no sense of direction, but this is ridiculous!"

"Go back and turn right! Head straight north."

"Why aren't they attacking?" Zoro asked her, confused.

"Shouldn't the question be why in the world are they giving you _directions_?" she whispered back, just as confused.

"NORTH! Are you stupid or something? Hey girl... explain to the idiot he's moving in the wrong direction, would you?"

_Girl?_ It was then when Kuina realized that once again, her kimono and makeup made her unrecognisable to her fellow crewmen. After all, the only people who had really seen her with it before she had joined the marines were Piers, Captain Smoker, Tashigi, the Doctor and maybe Briggs. None of whom were present.

"Hurry up and go already! Cripes, look! There's a smoke signal there! In the sky. Just head towards that direction..." The marine, whose voice was familiar but whose name escaped her at the moment, was speaking to them in a manner one might address a five-year old.

Zoro, still confused, but tired of being treated like an idiot, grabbed her by the hand and ran.

Behind them, Kuina could hear the marine yell: "Right! TURN RIIIIGHT!". This was followed by another sudden change in direction from Zoro.

"What the hell is going on?" Zoro grumbled as they moved. He'd let go of her hand again.

"I think..." Kuina began slowly, as she forced her mind to work amidst all the voices crowding it. "Tashigi must have told to them help us as well." Mentally she calculated the time and the relative position of the sun. Using that, she kept the sun on the correct side of her so she knew she was heading north. "Worry about it later, Zoro. Just keep going north for now!"

The marines were right. They were getting near again. She could (now that she had more time to get used to the cacophony of voices) sense a familiar presence ahead- Vivi and another of the Straw-Hat Pirates.

"Vivi!"

"Kuina!"

"What's going on? The marines just helped us! Did you do something?"

"Well not quite..." began Kuina, wishing she had thought of it before Tashigi had.

"Have you seen any of the others?"

"I haven't... Zoro, have you?"

There was no response.

"Zoro?" said the somewhat confused voice of the other pirate that had come with Vivi.

And a lengthy pause in which Kuina realised, with no small amount of consternation, that her childhood rival had lost her somewhere further back and she hadn't realised it.

She sighed. Zoro... he really hadn't changed at all.

* * *

"Where is that crazy girl? She was with me just now!"

Zoro was of half a mind to go back and look for Kuina, but she had said to keep going north, so he kept going. It was not time to worry about that though, because there was still the issue of the bomb and they were running out of time. He supposed wearing that kimono made her run slower than usual and wondered why she still insisted on wearing it. That old kimono-maker had really impressed on her some odd habits...

All this Zoro thought while he kept running up the stairs.

_North..._

* * *

"The bomb is in the clocktower. I'm sure of it!" Vivi's voice rang with conviction.

They were all standing at the base of the clocktower in the palace square. At least, according to the others, it _was_ a clocktower.

Kuina decided she would have to take their word for it. She was busily occupied at the moment fighting off a pair of Baroque Works agents who had apparently decided to go after the princess again. These were no more than rabble, and waved the swords they wielded around as though they were a pair of feather-dusters*.

"Wow, you're just like that other marine woman swordsman who saved us... are you two relat-"

"-No," she said firmly as the two Baroque Work agents went down. "Is that all of them?"

The male pirate, whose name she didn't know, was obviously intimidated by her. "Uh... yeah. Th-thanks."

"Nice, Kimono-chan!" Another one of the pirates, the girl, had joined them in the meantime, accompanied by the young pirate boy with the cute voice from Rainbase. They hadn't been successful in finding the bomb either, so the only hope they had now was in Princess Vivi's lead

But the question was, could they get up there in time to stop it? It seemed unlikely, to get to the entrance and climb that many flights of stairs would take them more time than they had...

"If only Pell were here, he could stop it."

Kuina silently agreed, trying to ignore the way her heart suddenly jumped to attention at the mention of the falcon-man's name. The princess was right, only Pell could make it up to the tower in time. But where was he?

Could she find him with her Mantra, in the middle of this chaos? If she could find him and tell him where the bomb was, then they still had a chance.

It was asking to be driven into madness in the middle of this hailstorm of emotions, but in desperation, she caved. Withdrawing into herself and the sea of voices, the churning cacophony in which many voices kept disappearing as they fell prey to death, she explored them all. It was frightening, horrifying, to feel the voices of minds that sought nothing but killing and in which she could so easily lose herself. But she did it, searching through each of them for that one voice.

And she found it. He wasn't too far away, and was worriedly searching from them...

"_PELL_!" Her own voice sounded alien to her, it was so high-pitched and out of control.

Behind her she could hear Vivi pivot around, looking up to the skies expectantly for the airborne guardian, but the princess had misunderstood her cry.

She'd screamed because just as she had found him, she'd felt his voice silenced, and a rush of his emotions in the moment it happened.

It was a confusing rush of pain, despair and regret at failing them-

_A bullet. He was hit by a bullet... _

"Kuina, where are you going?" The voices were fading behind her, to be swallowed up by the roar of the crowd. She was running, blindly running, dodging blows and strikes meant for others, her heart pounding harder and more painfully than she had thought possible. But she didn't care... she kept running.

"Kimono-chan!"

Still she kept running.

_Pell couldn't be dead. He couldn't be..._

Her hair whipped against her cheek and she could hear fluttering of her silken robe in her mad rush. The wind was in her ears, the fading echo of his voice in her head...

And still she didn't understand why suddenly, she was so horribly afraid.

* * *

_No._

_No. No. No._

_The silence of the moored marine vessel was all she needed to know that it was too late. _

_Her feet stumbled across the wooden deck, littered with the debris of a fierce battle. So horrified she was, she was deaf to everything but the voices she couldn't hear, and she nearly tripped over **It**._

_She half-fell, making contact with the yielding softness of a human body. Her trembling hands quickly recognized it as what she had feared it was: Piers. Except that it wasn't him anymore. **It** lay motionless, and sticky and reeked of blood. It wasn't the **him** she knew anymore. He had been reduced to an **It**._

_The thought of it made her mind reel. That 'thing' lying there couldn't be her cheery, talkative friend who had helped fill the void since her estrangement from Zoro. _

_No. No. No._

_Her lips moved, but the only sound that she could hear was her own intelligible scream that echoed along the banks of the Sandora river, its tone conveying everything that weak words could never say._

_She'd gone out to a world she couldn't see and she hadn't been afraid because he had always been there to guide her and now... he was gone._

_No. No. No._

_A person couldn't be reduced to a lifeless mass of flesh just like that, in a matter of hours... no- minutes... no- seconds. _

_They just couldn't..._

* * *

Her breath was catching in her throat, but Kuina kept running. Was it the fear that had temporarily cleared her mind? She knew, without any doubt, that ahead of her, two rebellion army soldiers were staring at _something_ in astonishment. No one else fighting in that portion of the square seemed to have noticed it. As she neared them she could hear their conversation:

"What was that that just fell?"

"It's... is that Pell the Falcon?"

"It is!"

"Fate must be with us! He's the captain of the Royal Guard. If we get rid of him it will be a great blow to the Royal Army!"

"B- But he's already down and out."

"Exactly! We'll never get another chance to take his head!"

"Wait... I don't think we should-" There was a note of hesitation in the voice of the second rebel, but it was too indecisive to make any difference and was dismissed by the first.

"Don't lose your nerve! We're doing this for the people! For Alabasta!"

As the rebel raised his sabre and prepared to bring it down upon the fallen guardian, Kuina darted in between sword and target, deflecting the blow.

"You will not touch him! Where is your honour?" Her blood was boiling over. _Attacking someone when they were already down!_

"Don't interf-" warned the rebel, reaching for his rifle. He found himself screaming in pain a moment later as the girl unhesitatingly brought her sword in hard, piercing him through his shoulder and arm. His weapon clattered to the ground.

"As for you..." Kuina turned her attention to the other rebel, pulling her sword out of the first rebel (and eliciting another scream as the man fell) and pointing its stained blade at him. In her anger at their cowardice, she raised her weapon, prepared to take his worthless life-

"K-Kuina, do not kill them!"

She froze. Pell had risen to his feet behind her. Shakily, but _alive_.

"Pell! You're... but... they were about to kill you while you were down!"

The falcon-man shook his head determinedly. "He is still a citizen of Alabasta. We mustn't fight each other."

"P-Pell-sama..." the remaining unharmed rebel blurted in terrified surprise.

"Your name's Taka, isn't it?" Pell said, turning to address the remaining rebel. "I remember you from the Equinox day training exercises."

The man's voice trembled as though he had seen a ghost. "Pell-sama... I... I'm sorry!" There was a clatter as he threw down his weapons and fled in shame.

Wordlessly, they let him go.

"I didn't mean to sound ungrateful," Pell said shortly, after the man had gone. "Thank you, Kuina."

"It's... I'm just glad you're all right." She wondered if it was the heat of the desert sun that made her cheeks flush so suddenly. "That rebel was someone you knew?"

"He was formerly a member of the Royal Army. He... defected." Pell made as though to move, but she could hear the gritting of his teeth and the strain in his voice.

"You're injured!"

"It is not important. Kuina- Vivi... the bomb...?"

The bomb! In her rage at his falling, she'd almost forgotten why she had been searching for him in the first place.

Surely they had run out of time? Even as she fought down the wave of panic at realising that by rights, any moment a thundering explosion would finalise their demise, a scream filtered through the sounds of war. Vivi, her voice shrill and desperate. Whether it was her Mantra sense, or her keen hearing, or some combination of both, she picked up on the princess' cries, the words sending a fresh chill down her spine.

_They'd found and stopped the bombers while she was away, but it had been for nought. The bomb itself had had a backup timer! There had never been a real chance at stopping it at all. _

The more she listened to Vivi's cries, the more the Mantra began to affect her. Once again, she could feel the other's emotions of panic, and the other girl's cries of frustration and despair began to overwhelm her. Powerless...

_She was going to die, in a land far away from home. Everyone was going to die. And both she and Zoro would never fulfil their promised dream..._

"Kuina, focus!" She suddenly realised she had spaced out. Pell was gripping her by the shoulders and shaking her lightly to bring her back. "The bomb, where is it?"

_Pell didn't have her sense of hearing. He hadn't heard Vivi's voice. He didn't know what was going on..._

"Th-the clocktower! Vivi and the others, they found it, but they can't stop it-"

She stopped speaking then, because even before she had finished her sentence, Pell had released his grip, leaned forward, and embraced her.

"The clocktower... thank the gods!"

Kuina froze. She could tell it was a very rare and impulsive action for the otherwise stoic soldier, one born out of the extremity of the moment. Still, that did not make it any less terrifying, or confusing. He smelt of feathers and face-paint, and she could feel his heartbeat, like the fluttering wings of a bird. She wondered why she was focusing on such trivial things like that now.

It didn't last long. He pulled away just as swiftly, as though he had steeled himself and come to terms with what he was going to do.

"Take care of this for me." Something heavy was being thrust into her hands, and she realised that it was his sword.

And just as all this was happening, an abrupt glimpse of the future flashed through her mind's eye.

_Magnificent wings, flying into the sun..._

What was this dread, this unbearable feeling of impending loss?

_"He was a great man, who loved his country and died to protect it."_

"You would gladly do the same."

_"In a heartbeat."_

She understood it now. He was handing his sword over to her because he knew he wouldn't be needing it again. And what was more, he knew that _she_ knew.

"Pell..." she could only say dumbly at last, the tone of her voice pleading.

He let go of the sword, leaving it in her hands. She could feel the warmth of his hand where he had held it. Even in this desperate moment, it filled her with that same strange, thrilling emotion as when he had embraced her, both terrible and wonderful and -

And it was then, in this most inappropriate of moments, when she finally understood why.

Her mind reeled in shock at her sudden epiphany.

_No! Impossible! How could this happen without my being aware of it?_

"Do not grieve overmuch." She knew Pell was smiling at her, even if she couldn't see him do it. "It will be all right. I will not let everyone die."

_Suddenly she had a glimpse of his mind, and she realised that he had no idea._

_She_ herself had no idea whether she should be relieved that this was so. But even in her state of conflicting emotions, one thing she understood very well. He had decided on his fate, and she couldn't possibly undermine his resolve. Saying anything now would have been be the wrong thing to do. And so she fought her own selfishness in ineloquent silence.

_He mustn't have any idea..._

And yet... she wanted to say something. To acknowledge the greatness of what he planned on doing. But nothing coherent found its way through.

And then the chance was gone.

"I must go. Kuina... thank you. For everything."

In a whirl of feathers and wind, he left, to do what no one else could.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the raging hordes below, the bodies of several prominent royal guardsmen were sprawled on the cold white stone of the palace, now stained red.

One of them belonged to the man who had, until he had been soundly taken down by Crocodile, commanded the Royal Army.

A lesser man would have died. General Chaka "the Jackal", however, had not gained his position through nepotism. His devil-fruit may have paled in comparison to his friend the Falcon's, and though he had been denied the title 'the strongest in Alabasta' to his friend because of it, it didn't mean it didn't have its strengths. One advantage Chaka always had over Pell was an incomparable sense of hearing and a decidedly uncanny sixth sense.

One that managed to rouse him just in time, to hear the grief-laden scream of their beloved princess, and translate the sound into the a word, a name...

The name of the man he could see in the distance, who was flying, carrying something large and black high into the sky.

Chaka knew what it was.

He knew what Pell intended to do.

He knew it was the only thing they could do.

He also knew what the outcome would be.

But in the days to come, he never forgave himself for not being do anything to change it.

* * *

The roar of war was nothing to Kuina's ears now. There was only the flap of wings, the slow ticking of the bomb, and over it all, Vivi's heart-wrenching scream.

Helpless. There was nothing she, a mere swordsman, could do.

Helpless, she could only sit and listen as a single man bore a terrible burden high into the skies where it could do no harm.

Helpless, she waited.

Helpless, she could only clap her hands over her ears as the roar shook the skies, the shockwave shattering glass and knocking her down to the ground.

But all that was nothing compared to the pain when somewhere, deep in her recesses of her mind, a voice both steely and soft, wonderful and terrible, vanished into silence.

* * *

"They did it..." Tashigi didn't bother wiping the dirt streaks off her glasses, she was too busy feeling relieved. "Those pirates found the bomb after all."

"That flash in the sky just now, was that the bomb?" one of the marines with her asked.

"Could it have been anything else?"

"We're saved! But what do we do now, Officer Tashigi?"

"We stop Baroque Works," said Tashigi with renewed determination. She had had enough of feeling useless. "Take down or arrest any of their agents that you can identify. And DON'T HESITATE!"

* * *

As the last rumbles of the explosion faded away, Kuina attempted to gather her scattered wits.

Pell had done it.

She should have been relieved that they were all saved for now. But he was gone and there was a burning pain in her heart that was quite unlike anything she had felt before.

_I didn't just fall for someone I've known for less than day,_ she told herself, dazed. No, that was the kind of thing the silly, girly protagonists of those romantic stories you heard the village storyteller talk about did. She, Kuina, who was neither flighty nor obsessed with men, knew better than that.

Or at least, that was what she told herself - _I have a goal, a dream. I made a promise to become the greatest swordsman in the world. I never desired romance, it would only be a burden._

Why did her words sound so hollow and false, even to herself?

Unbidden, Mihawk's voice suddenly echoed in her head.

_Only a fool cuts down a sakura tree before it has had a chance to blossom._

To her horror, she felt tears well up in her eyes. She thought she had understood the meaning of his words back then. But in hindsight now, why was she seeing a whole new interpretation to his words?

No, it would be ridiculous to have said that she had... _feelings_ for a stranger she had only just met. But she would be lying to herself if she'd denied that she had developed _something _in that short time she had known him. She hadn't fallen in love, but the true tragedy was... she very well could have.

But there had never been a chance. There had never been time. Pell had exited her life just as abruptly as he had entered it. Now he was gone and she was left behind, with nothing but a sword and the shattered remnants of her own treacherous heart.

Overhead the sun seemed to dim, as if to show its respect for the fallen hero.

She wouldn't cry. This wasn't the time to dissolve into tears over what could have been. That man had sacrificed himself to save them all and stop a war and she wasn't going to dishonour his memory by-

It was then when she realized that the sounds of fighting had started anew.

In the distance, she could hear Vivi's shrill voice, hoarse with grief and loss, screaming, madly screaming.

"_STOP FIGHTING. EVERYONE! STOP FIGHTING!"_

_Unbelievable..._

They'd stopped the bomb and saved the lives of everyone, but the royal army and the rebels were continuing their attempts at killing each other again.

Rage at the ingrates flooded through her. Her hands trembled as she clenched them.

Pell had died for nothing. _NOTHING! _

"_-EVERYONE, PLEASE STOP FIGHTING!"_

"They can't hear you, Vivi. No one can hear..." No one heard her voice either. But in the scheme of things she, insignificant little Kuina, didn't matter anymore.

What good was wanting to be the strongest swordsman in the world, if in all of this war, even her skill and strength couldn't do anything to stop this madness? At the end, the only thing she could do was just grieve... no, this was not the time. She would not cry. She would NOT cry...

But she could hear the droplets falling onto the desert sand, and the thirsty ground greedily drank them up.

Except they weren't her tears.

In wonder she turned her face upward, as the stinging drops made contact with her skin. Around her, the roar of war was fading into astonished silence.

She hadn't cried for him, but it was as though the very skies of the country had decided to cry in her stead.

After four years of drought, it was raining in Alabasta.

* * *

"It's raining," Tashigi looked up in wonder as the thick heavy drops began to blanket the capital city.

"Officer Tashigi... there's something going on the square. I think the rain's gotten everyone to stand down and now they're talking... I think that's the princess of Alabasta talking to them!"

It was true. The falling rain seemed to have sapped away the bloodlust of the gathered combatants, and over the fading tumult of war, a single voice, fair and clear, spoke calming words.

"Good, that's a load off our shoulders." But even as Tashigi said this, she turned and was ran back in the direction she had come from earlier.

"Officer Tashigi! Where are you going?" one of the men called after her.

All traces of hesitation were gone from her face. "We marines don't abandon our people. There's something we still need to do!"

* * *

Kuina knelt in the middle of the palace square. As the mindless killing stopped, she felt her head clear. The voices that the Mantra had filled her mind with faded, leaving her free to focus on the sounds of the falling rain... and Vivi's voice.

"...the nightmare is over..."

But if she had thought she could take a break from Mantra and its tiresome effects, she soon realised that it was not to be. That strange Mantra _thing_ was happening again. As Vivi spoke, even though she was so far away, Kuina felt as though she could hear another voice coming from the other girl's heart. A voice that spoke of years of uncertainty, years of pain and suffering, only to be vindicated in this one moment in which the people finally stopped fighting, and finally started listening.

For even as she felt all this, she knew, with an uncanny certainty, that somehow, Luffy had won and Crocodile had been defeated, and all their struggles, all their sacrifices had not been in vain.

_Pell... if you could only have seen this..._

As if in response, she felt the gentlest of caresses upon her cheek.

Startled, she raised her hand to her face, and her fingers closed around something light, and soft- a single large feather that had by coincidence or fate, fallen all the way from the sky to land on her face.

_Do not grieve overmuch. It is never for nothing. _

She knew that the falling rain would have disguised her tears. But somehow, she still couldn't bring herself to cry.

* * *

In another part of the great city, two figures were making their way slowly down the deserted streets. One was significantly taller than the other, and was using her shoulder as a support.

"Briggs! Just hang in there, we'll get you to a doctor!"

"T-"

"Almost there! Just keep talking to me... and keep walking..."

"T-tashigi-

"...don't you dare die on me!"

"Tashigi... you're _overreacting_. And annoying."

"I'm overreacting? I'M OVERREACTING? You're the one under-reacting! You're all shrivelled up and half-dead! How's that supposed to be me overreacting?"

"It's raining. I'll un-shrivel eventually."

"You lost your entire arm!"

"Oh, it'll grow back in six months."

"_What_?"

"It's called limb autonomy*. Stick-insects have it. Sacrifice a limb to escape, it grows back later."

"You've _got_ to be kidding me."

"Not much of an entomologist, are you?" Briggs muttered unflatteringly.

"Normal people can't grow their limbs back!" Tashigi retorted.

"Yes but I just told you mine do. And it's not as great as it sounds. As in I'll need months- no, years, to retrain the muscles on that arm before I get any decent level of motor control. Not to mention the moulting..."

"-wait a minute, did you just call me 'annoying'?"

"Slow on the uptake as usual- OW! Oi! What was that for?"

"You being _you_. I can't believe you actually gut-punched me back there."

"I don't believe in gender discrimination. Well, on important things anyway. Do you know how stupid you were acting back there? I'd have hit you even if you weren't female."

"Well... that's flattering," Tashigi briefly considered slapping Briggs again but despite his insistences he really was too injured for her to be rough with him.

"Hey old man! It's you!'

Both marines paused and realized that they were no longer the only ones on that stretch of the street. Before them stood a man with strange curling hair. He was carrying a little boy who was covered in bruises and bloodstains.

"_Old_... man?" Briggs sounded rather insulted.

"You're that monster who saved me!" said the boy gratefully, with tears streaking down his cheeks. "I thought those two assassins were going to kill me but you drew them away!"

"Oh that. Whatever, kid. Don't mention it. Now go on tell those idiots what you saw and stop them fighting," Briggs was almost brusque in his discomfort of being showered with gratitude.

"We will. Thank you for your assistance," said the large man with the strange curling hair. The two moved on towards the palace square.

"Who was that?" Tashigi wondered after the two moved out of earshot.

"You were aware that was Igaram, Captain of the Royal Alabastan guard, right? Probably the only one able to talk sense into the royal army. No? Cripes, do you people under Smoker even bother reading up on the political situation of a country before you get involved in its civil war? I mean, seriously-"

"Briggs?"

"What?"

"You're injured, so save your breath and stop talking. That's an order."

"Did you just tell me to... shut up?" Briggs glared at Tashigi as in the distance, a trio of marines who had spotted them came running in their direction. One of them had a marine-issued medi-kit with them.

"Yes," Tashigi told him flatly.

"Oh... Fine."

And that was the point when Briggs' grip on her suddenly slackened, and he pitched forward to fall face-first into the muddy, soggy ground. Whatever was left of his adrenaline had finally run out, apparently.

"I _told_ you you were under-reacting," Tashigi muttered to her now-senseless fellow officer as the men came rushing up to help.

* * *

Who would have thought that out of nowhere, so many Marine ships would suddenly appear and corner them like this?

The captain of the weather-control ship _Rainfall_ had just about resigned himself to having failed his mission. At the present, being tied up and forced to watch those damned marines tromping all over his ship, he couldn't decide whom he would have rather been beaten by. The white-haired muscle-bound monster with the jutte, or the woman with the unbelievably bright pink hair.

It was a tough call. Overall though, the woman marine was easier on the eyes.

There was no getting away from one thing though. Crocodile was not going to be happy when he found out what had happened.

"As I was saying, Tashigi," the white, smoky marine was saying to the den-den mushi of the captured vessel. "We captured the rain-making ship Baroque Works was using. There's quite a haul of dance powder on it too, enough to convict the one behind it all, even if it is a shichibukai like Crocodile."

Whoever it was on the other side of the den-den mushi seemed to react rather seriously to this news.

"Understood, Captain Smoker. Crocodile will be brought to justice for his crimes."

The captain snorted. _As if they could_.

* * *

The rain fell, drenching all and sundry.

It also completely drenched the battered figure who had crashed-landed on his back in the middle of the muddy street.

Tashigi held the den-den mushi in her hand, listening to Smoker-san's update as she gazed down at Crocodile's beaten form. One might have said how the mighty had fallen.

The shichibukai had been wrong. Smoker hadn't run away. He'd put aside his independent pride and gone for reinforcements. She knew that asking for help was something that did not come easily to her proud captain. But she also knew that for the sake of his subordinates, he would consider it worth every bit of the humiliation.

Speaking of which...

"How's Officer Briggs?" Tashigi asked the field medic who had come up behind her, presumably to give a report.

"Er... he's still alive, just... pretty messed up, Ma'am. We'll have to get him some proper medical help soon, but what happened to him?"

"Tangled with this guy." Tashigi pointed at the trampled figure lying in the dirt.

"Is that the warlord _Crocodile_?" the medic said in awe as he recognised the man.

"Yes."

'Wait... Officer Briggs fought a _Shichibukai_? And _survived_?"

"You're not the only one surprised, trust me," Tashigi said wryly. "Did you know that Briggs was a devil-fruit user?"

"No... he is? You don't say, Ma'am! Whoa... we'll be treating ourselves for shock next, that's what! Did he do this to _Crocodile_?"

"I bet he wishes he did, but no."

"Then who beat Crocodile?"

_The pirate Straw-Hat Luffy. _

"It wasn't us," was all Tashigi could say at last.

For all the might of the Marines, it had been a silly rookie pirate from the East Blue who had beaten that warlord. It was wrong on so many levels. But there was at least one thing she, as a representative of the marines could do.

"Crocodile," she began as her men watched in awe, "you have been found in abuse of the powers vested to you as a shichibukai. I hereby place you under arrest..."

* * *

The war was over. It was raining, and the coolness was a welcome change.

No more running around looking for bombs and fighting people. Finally, the exhausted Straw-Hats could rest.

Roronoa Zoro slumped down against the wall right after Vivi had left. Luffy had beaten Crocodile, and he himself had accomplished more than he ever dreamed possible in a day. Wearily, he leaned against the cool sandstone and enjoyed the luxury of doing nothing.

He didn't realised he had dozed off until his senses told him he was no longer being rained on. Blearily opening his eyes, Zoro looked up. Standing before him, with her parasol opened and shielding him from the rain, was Kuina.

"Kuina!"

She looked tired and worn. And there was a sad look to her that he had never seen before. A spare sword clutched in her hand made it obvious why. He recognized it as the bird-man's weapon... it seemed that he wouldn't have to explain to her what had happened to the bomb.

"You okay?"

She nodded. "It's over."

There was a pause as both struggled for the right words to say. Their alliance had been rekindled under the threat of the bomb, but now that the shadow had withdrawn, they were back where they had left off.

Kuina beat him to it first. He could tell, from the tone of her voice, she was trying to sound cheery in a way she did not feel.

"Well, now that this is all over, I guess we can get back to our original business of my reclaiming my sword. But this won't do, Zoro," she clucked disapprovingly, "when I fight you for my Wadou, I fully expect you to be in prime condition, not this sorry bloody mess you currently are in."

He grinned despite his exhaustion. "Guess you'll have to wait till I recover then."

"Looks like it." With a rustle of silk she sat down beside him, shoulder to shoulder.

Moments passed with no other sound but the patter of falling rain against the fabric of the shielding parasol. It was a while before Kuina broke the silence again.

"Hey Zoro?"

"Mmm?"

"I had a talk with Luffy."

He looked at her in surprise.

"And, well... I was wrong about your captain. He's not your ordinary pirate."

"No he is a bit weird," Zoro admitted.

"That's an understatement. But I can see why you follow him." For a moment she smiled, before resuming a serious expression. "Hey... I don't know about you, but there are a lot of things I've said and done since Loguetown that I wish I hadn't. I should have had more faith in you... that you wouldn't simply lose your sense of honour and turn into a common pirate."

She took a deep breath, as if trying to work up her nerve and let go of her pride, before continuing.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, Zoro, I'm sor-"

Here she broke off, because he had reached for her hand and curled it into a fist. Wordlessly, he brought it to the level of his eyes, then leaned forward and rapped his broad forehead against her knuckles.

"There," he said, releasing her hands, "you've hit me on the forehead. We're all right now."

He knew she would understand what he meant by it. Because she was the only one who ever really understood him.

"_Baka_," she said affectionately, leaning her tired head against his broad shoulder in acceptance.

Further words were not needed as they sat in companionable silence. For a little while it was as though they were back at the dojo of her father, sitting beneath the great tree after a sparring session.

Just like old times.

Roronoa Zoro smiled. Allegiances to pirates and marines notwithstanding, he had his best friend back again.

And over Alabasta, the rain fell.

* * *

**_To Be Concluded..._**

* * *

***Chapter Footnotes: **

**[1]* "Do we have a new challenger?"** = Boss level Crocodile. P1: Briggs, P2: Tashigi. CREDITS: 0... INSERT COIN AND PRESS START TO PLAY! (Of course, we all know it was just a ploy to get you to spend all your quarters)

**[2]* Waving your sword around like a feather-duster** = Any self-respecting pirate would know that this is the correct response to give when someone brags of their "tongue being sharper than any sword". ;) (ps: if you get this reference you may consider yourself a worthy pirate! Now go nosh up a mug of grog!)

**[3]* Limb autonomy **= This is of course, based on a real ability of stick-insects. And yes, I do know that only juveniles have the ability to fully regenerate the lost limbs completely, but I decided to exercise some artistic license for Briggs' case. But thought I'd just mention it in case any of my extremely observant and well-informed readers decide to point it out.

* * *

**Whew! On the dot update, almost exactly 2 months! Give or take a day. *wipes sweat* I really pushed myself hard to get this chapter and the most recent chapter of the Supernova Eleven out on time (earlier this month). I could have gotten this chapter out earlier, but there were some bits I wasn't entirely happy with so I decided to take my time and do it properly.**

**Actually, thinking about it, it's been a pretty productive 2 months, 1 chapter of Supernova Eleven and 1 chapter of TABCF. About roughly 20k words. Not an easy feat when one has a full-time job, and a gazillion projects taking up most of my available spare time.**

**Thanks again to my wonderful beta, callosum, whose hard work help shaped this chapter, and definitely for the better.**

**Also, very big THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed and pointed out typos and other formatting mistakes I made in the last chapters. I greatly appreciate take the effort, it makes it vastly easier for me to fix them. Anyway, prattling over... time for the Q and A!**

* * *

**ijpowers92 (2011-04-20 . chapter 12) : I was also feeling bad for Nico Robin for a while there. Not only is she getting her past rubbed in her face, she was being kept from the poneglyph. I admit I was actually a bit relieved when Crocodile showed up...what can I say? I like Robin.**

A: Me too, actually. I adore Robin's morbid comments especially. Well Briggs does get his comeuppance from Robin for his actions for last chapter. I like to think of it as the precursor of what she did to Spandam!

* * *

**Sorakage Sama (2011-04-20 . chapter 12) : Briggs unveiling his devil fruit was very well done. The idea of an insect type zoan fruit was something that never explored (to my knowledge). **

**xShurikenx (2011-04-20 . chapter 12): For some reason, I was feeling a bit of deja-vu with Briggs df power... I could have sworn I'd seen a stick insect df before? But I can't remember where?**

A: The closest I can think of is Onigumo, who is a spider-zoan. I figured that if we could have arachnid zoans, an insect-type zoan couldn't be too far off.

As far as I am aware there hasn't been a stick insect DF shown yet, but there was a stick-insect monster in Movie 10: Strong World!

* * *

**Lord Edric (2011-04-20 . chapter 12): Gotta love Zoro's way with words Poor Kuina, no one can stay mad at Luffy**

A: It's so hard to, isn't it? Luffy just makes you mad before before you can explode, and then he goes and does something so incredibly sweet and good-willed your heart melts. Or you get the mental equivalent of being hit over the head by an elephant-tuna. Either way, can't stay mad at him.

* * *

**Lupus-Cantus-Grimoure (2011-04-20 . chapter 12) it seems to me that she is rather confortable with pells presence**

A: In a way I suppose she is. Comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time... *whistles innocently*

* * *

**Nixieneo (2011-04-20 . chapter 12) I feel a bit sad that Kuina now knows who Luffy really is.** **I really loved her wild imaginings of the "Evil Pirate Luffy!" (kekekeke)**

A: In all honesty, I will miss the Evil!Luffy imaginings as well. But hopefully, it won't be the last we see of Kuina's imagination.

* * *

**Miyu Hinamori (2011-04-20 . chapter 12) :1) Why did you make Pell unconscious? He was fine in the original, wasn't he? 2) Why did you put in that random fragment of a day on the marine ship?**

A: 1) Pell was on the verge of collapsing, if I recall correctly, having stumbled to his knees next to Luffy after Miss All Sunday left, and she specifically mentioned that he was heavily injured. The rest was offscreen. I just went along with the logical conclusion to what happens when someone who is in that state keeps pushing himself. 2) The random fragment of the day was supposed to be an ironic flashback. It was there partly for humour, and partly to emphasize how totally clueless Kuina about the opposite sex, which ties back to why she doesn't realize why Pell gives her funny feelings.

* * *

**Vi-Violence (2011-04-20 . chapter 12): ...the entire conversation she had with Luffy, I loved it so much, I'm pretty sure I had a stupid grin on my face the whole time I was reading it [..] honestly, I could have faved this fic for that conversation alone.**

A: The Luffy-Kuina meeting was the hardest part of this whole fic, and I rewrote it so many times I think I nearly got sick of it. I am glad the extra effort paid off though. Luffy really is a lovable little lug, and Kuina is not immune to his offbeat charming of people. Even if she did start out wanting to kill him XD

ps: I am so glad so many people commented that they liked it, I was so worried about meeting the expectations!

* * *

**Majin Hentai X (2011-04-20 . chapter 12): Oh no Briggs has been killled! Oh wait its just Briggs who give a zark about him.**

A: Gosh, you sound exactly like Dr. Francis XD I can imagine him saying something like that. No one likes Briggs in-universe XD Understandable, though.

* * *

**Aoi24 (2011-04-20 . chapter 12): I think I may like the idea of PellXKuina now too! XD But then again, the addition of Pell is always an improvement. […] Briggs, that's...strangely fitting. […] Great move giving him a CMOA and some badassery. It's tempting to deny them to persnickety characters but he is still a marine afterall. **

A: I like Pell. And I say this despite the fact he keeps getting blown up by bombs in his most of his appearances in my fanfics. WTH, me? O.O;;

In all honesty I'd never meant to have that pairing at first though. It just happened. When it comes to writing romance I go with the flow. Oh, two characters have chemistry? Let's experiment and see how this turns out! (In hindsight, not very well through no fault of their own...)

I was wondering if anyone would spot the clues that Briggs had a DF before the reveal. Heaven knows I was dropping hints, but rather subtle ones I suppose. I did want to do an aversion of the typical DF user introduction since I didn't want the character defined solely by their powers. So I decided to introduce the character as a background one, give them time to settle and establish themselves without special powers, then spring in a DF surprise! I did wonder if I was going too far by referring to Briggs having a "stick-like frame" though. LOL.

* * *

**Pom Rania (2011-04-20 . chapter 12): 1) Was Briggs being compared to a cockroach part of some insect foreshadowing? […] 2) I should have realized that with a cool enough ability as that one, there was no WAY you were just going to throw it by the wayside. Does it count as Chekhov's Gunman if it's actually a character we've seen before, but we just never connected the two? [...]So 3) Marie isn't an OC, and you're not going to say any more...? SHE'S ACTUALLY SENGOKU'S GOAT WHO SHAPE-SHIFTED INTO HUMAN FORM, ISN'T SHE.**

A: 1) Yes, the cockroach comment was Smoker foreshadowing Briggs' ability. Obviously, he knows about Briggs. It was also a reference to Briggs popularity, or the non-existence of it. 2) Is it a Chekov's Gunman or a Red Herring Shirt? Dunno... I thought you'd enjoy it, since you expressed an interest in that particular devil fruit. I'd always intended for it to be Briggs (heck if you pay close attention to the way the flashback character speaks in Chapter 9, you can recognize it's Briggs' speech pattern) but I just bided my time with it! 3) ROFL! Marie = PwnGoat! How did you guess? ;)

* * *

**xShurikenx (2011-04-20 . chapter 12): I was almost falling off my chair when Kuina had her first conversation with Luffy XD It didn't help that I was thinking of charade as a type of Kool-aid mix or something after Luffy made his comment. (Chairade - made with 100% recycled materials and contains 1000% of your daily recommended dose of fiber!)**

A: The Chairade advertisement is so begging to be drawn... *hand itches* no... no draw... must write... arrrgh...

* * *

**SilverRainFalls (2011-04-20 . chapter 12): […] 2) The way Kuina had to deal with that inner bloodthirsty demon was portrayed perfectly. I thought that inner conflict was a very nice touch [...] I'm very glad that Kuina didn't brush off the thought of killing so easily; she seems so much more human since she struggled with her problems. […] 4) Briggs is a pain, but he's a great help in a pinch! I totally didn't see the Devil Fruit coming (although reading your Q&A section, I think I should have) and was very much surprised at the sudden twist. **

A: 2) Thank you. Thank you! I am so glad someone understands the importance of that part. It's about the choice and doing what's right in the circumstances, despite the temptation, and knowing the consequences, and not just about being a "good guy" and doing it on default.

4) I think you just summed up Briggs' entire character in that first line. I'm glad you liked the twist reveal of the devil fruit. I'd planned for Briggs to have a DF fruit for a long time, but I really didn't want him to be a character who was defined just by his DF power, so I decided that it would remain hidden until he had established his character without it. Of course, that also gave me time to pepper lots of foreshadowing that Briggs wasn't what he seemed. It was fun to see who would pick up on it. Most of it is in chapter 9, but some clues were in 10 and 11 as well.

* * *

**DaDude (2011-04-21 . chapter 12): "CAPTAIN 'BARKSKIN' BRIGGS"? I think i'm going into shock... Although it is going to be down right hilarious to see the rest of the crew finding out. MINI-COMAS FOR EVERYONE! […] I feel sorry for Kuina... she was missing out on the topless, which is (almost) always a pleasant experience. And Zoro's a showoff. Lol. :)**

A: Well I think we settled for the marine crewmen going into shock XD As for Kuina missing out, Tashigi, by contrast, got an eyeful... I should get around to drawing that request...

* * *

**Kisdota-The Freak Gamer (2011-04-23 . chapter 12): SO UH GOOD CHAPTER, BUT NOW WHAT? I MEAN WHEN'S THE NEXT TIME THAT SMOKER AND HIS CREW ACTUALLY MEET THE CREW AGAIN I CAN'T SEEM TO REMEMBER IF THERE'S ANOTHER TIME WHEN SMOKER AND THE OTHERS ACTUALLY MEET AGAIN IN THE WHOLE SERIES, YAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA**

A: Well officially they don't meet Luffy again until Marineford actually... . But I have plans...

* * *

**Siegfried Knighthawk (2011-04-23 . chapter 12): I was rereading this story when I noticed an odd discrepancy when Smoker decided to teach Piers how to fight with his fists Piers was somehow able to hit him despite the fact that Smoker is a logia and thus can't be harmed by mundane means unless of course he is soaked with seawater or something like that.**

A: Well it's not that odd actually. Smoker is a logia but he can be hit when he's taken off guard (as shown in Alabasta, in the Spice Bean Restaurant, when Luffy slingshotted Ace into Smoker) or when he chooses to not use his powers. Presumably when someone uses haki as well (Boa Hancock vs Smoker). I like to think that when Piers hit Smoker, Smoker deliberately didn't use his DF powers, in order to help Piers raise his self-confidence by scoring a hit. Because Smoker is awesome that way.

* * *

**ive (2011-04-24 . chapter 12): New reader here, I really enjoy your fic! Sadly I'm not a very good reviewer, but I just wanted to let you know that soaring on thermals is a flight device used by buteo hawks (like the red-tailed) and vultures, and less so by falcons, which power-flap all the way through instead of gliding. But that's a small nit-pick, and I'm looking forward to what happens next!**

A: Wow, I've been out-bird-knowledged! XD I have to say, it's a first!

Yes, while I am very sure falcons do use thermals, you are also right in that they don't use them as much as hawks and eagles do (I suppose falcons are smaller and lighter so they don't need them so much). Also, you just made me realize that I just described Pell using the hawk spiral-climb flight pattern instead of a falcon zig-zag-climb pattern... *winces* Although I have a feeling no one else actually knows what we're talking about at this point *cricket chirps* XD I'm such a bird geek!

* * *

**Animefan29 (2011-05-31 . chapter 12): How did I miss this chapter for so long? **

A: Well, I think FFnet recently made some changes to how their story favourites and alerts work, I think. I'm finding this out just recently myself.

Ps to all: Incidentally anyone else notice this? Favourited stories no longer seem to send out alerts on updates, you have to subscribe to story alerts to get those now. Or is that just me?

* * *

Anyway, thanks for reading this far. Today's bonus feature is a datasheet on the Mushi-Mushi fruit, Model: Stick-Insect because I have a feeling otherwise I'm going to get heck a lot of questions on what exactly happened in the fight. Hopefully all this data explains it better without info-dumping.

_**About Briggs' devil-fruit:**_

**Name:** Mushi-Mushi Fruit, Model: Stick-Insect

**Type:** Herbivorous Zoan, but it gets mistaken for a tree paramecia frequently, giving him the nickname "Barkskin"

**Full Zoan Form:**

Briggs turns into a stick-insect. That's it.

Unlike most full-zoan transformations, Briggs' devil-fruit shrinks him into a small stick-insect. His transformed size is roughly 3 inches. The transformation never really impresses anyone, and it is pretty much useless for combat.

It is useful however, for spying, moving around undetected, and escaping in a pinch, especially when the opponent doesn't know about his powers. As a stick-insect, he can "disappear" and blend into the surroundings very well thanks to his size and camouflage, especially in wooded areas.

It also has the added bonus of giving him limited flight, although he can neither fly very fast or very far as the wings are not very strong. Unfortunately, he is also extremely vulnerable to being eaten by predators or crushed by enemies when in this form.

**Hybrid Zoan Form:**

Briggs turns into a giant part-insect part-human creature. Scaled up, this form tends to freak people out, because the extraordinary height (over double his normal height, and Briggs is tall to begin with), the bark-like carapace and an extra pair of extra-long limbs make him look like a forest spirit or tree-demon. And those that recognize that he's an insect still freak out because well... he's a giant bug and that's icky.

The biggest plus is that he gains a protective exoskeleton in the form of his hard carapace. He also gains extra reach and can move extremely quickly because of his long limbs. His combat moves tend to hinge on the ability to spray a burning chemical that stings upon contact with skin, and can cause temporary blindness or nausea if it makes contact with the eyes or mouth.

Unfortunately he cannot fly in his hybrid form because it's too heavy for his wings to support, although he uses them to jump higher than normal.

_**Human Form: **_

Briggs doesn't really like his devil-fruit forms. He prefers to stay human as much as possible. The only noticeable side effect that his DF has given him here is that he has the abnormally high regenerative capabilities of a stick-insect, including limb regeneration.

* * *

_**And we're done! See you all in 2 months and feel free to review and let me know what you thought of this chapter! **_


	14. Making Peace

_**A/N: I'm terribly late, I know. This was a monster of a chapter to write (and with appropriate monster length as well). Thanks must go to my beta, callosum, for doing an express job on the beta.**_

_**It didn't help that I hit a Writer's Block and had to resort to writing a couple of chapters of 'Marie D Suesse and the Mystery New Pirate Age!' to break that block.**_

_**I didn't waste my block time either. I've actually gone back and revised the previous chapters as well. Nothing too major, mainly fixing a lot of spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. I've also added additional lines and fixed awkward sentences and dialogue. Since this chapter is the last chapter of this arc, it's a good time to reread the entire story arc in one shot. If you should feel so inclined, of course.**_

_**So, without further ado:**_

* * *

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will.**

**Chapter 14: Making Peace**

* * *

It might sound strange that mere rain would bring peace to a country torn by civil war, but it did.

But while the rain had soothed the unrest amongst the people, it had yet to bring peace to a different conflict.

* * *

_Kuina stood before the silent ship, gathering courage to step on board._

"_So there you are! Where have you been?" __T__he voice, shouted down the gangplank, was angry and accusatory._

"_Doctor-san?"_

"_You're too late," the doctor said bluntly. "He's gone."_

_It took her several minutes to let this sink in. "You mean P-Piers...?"_

"_Where were you? I thought he was your friend!"_

_She tried to speak, to explain, but as much as she tried, no sound came out of her mouth. She wanted to cry, but her eyes remained dry._

"_You didn't deserve him for a friend," said another voice. "I'm surprised you even dared to show your face!"_

_Kuina stiffened. "Tashigi-san..." _

"_Don't Tashigi-san ME, Ms. Traitor," her superior replied coldly, "I saw you with fraternising with Roronoa and the Straw-Hat pirates."_

"_I am disappointed in you, Kuina," rumbled Smoker's distinctive voice. "You've betrayed my trust, consorting with the enemy."_

"_Captain Smoker, I—"_

"_I don't want to hear your excuses. You're under arrest and awaiting court-martial. I would advise you not to try and resist. Briggs, take her to the holding cells!"_

"_With pleasure. I always knew that blind girl wouldn't amount to anything much," sneered the voice of __the navigator as he approached. She could hear the cold ring of the cuffs he carried._

_Kuina took a step back, her heart hammering. She couldn't beat Captain Smoker. She wasn't even sure she wanted to try. To outrun him was the only chance she had, but what level of shame would she bring to her father and family name by turning into a criminal fugitive? She didn't even want to think about that._

_In a panic, she turned and bolted, only to crash into a flat expanse of cold, unyielding stone..._

* * *

The voices in her head faded away, only to be replaced by the soft patter of falling rain against stone. Kuina lay still, breathing heavily, her forehead beaded with sweat. She could no longer hear the hostile, accusatory voices of her former crew, just the soft voices of a man and a girl speaking in the background.

It took her several moments to gather herself. The cold stone hadn't been a stone wall. It was the marbled floor of Alubarna Palace. She had fallen out of bed and head-first onto the floor.

"A dream," she muttered as she extracted herself from the tangle of blankets. "A nightmare. None of that was real. Just... my mind making up nightmares..."

At this she suddenly gave up and slumped dejectedly, resting her cheek on the cool marble floor. What was the point?

No, none of that had been real. Except for one thing...

* * *

"_Sake? Where'd you get that?"_

"_An old innkeeper from Rainbase was kind enough to provide me with this little bottle. And these two cups."_

"_And you carried these everywhere with you through__out_ _the whole war?"_

"_It was important. I wanted to be able to do this with you if there was a chance."_

_Kuina knew from his silence that Zoro was looking at her oddly._

"_It's something that that crazy captain of yours—" here she nodded at the __aforementioned_ _captain's senseless form, "—said to me. When two people exchange cups of sake, they become brothers."_

"_And you want me to be your brother?"_

"_Do you want the sake or not, Moss-head?"_

_He grinned. "I never say no to free sake."_

_Without further words they both toasted each other, and downed their cups. With this action there was the feeling of having officially acknowledged something that had always been an unspoken understanding between them._

_Kuina felt a rush of triumph at the affirming of their bond. But this warm feeling did not last long— she was too busy gagging a moment later._

_The taste of the Alabastan liquor was wildly different from the rice-wine of her village. Unlike the simple, malty and bittersweet brew of home, the local sake was extremely sweet, and heavily flavoured with cloying spices and seemed more perfume than drink._

"_What the hell was that?" complained Zoro as he__,__too, recovered from choking down his drink._

"_I think the inn-keeper called it a—"_

"—_I don't want to know. I just never want any of it again. The next time we drink together, I'm picking the alcohol, ok?__" _

_Kuina laughed, for what seemed like the first time in a very long time, but her laugh abruptly died as something that she should have noticed earlier finally registered in her consciousness. A familiar presence._

"_Oh crap. Marines."_

"_T-Tashigi..."_

_How long her superior had been silently standing there, at the end of the street, Kuina couldn't even tell. But there was no doubt that she had seen everything._

_Kuina's heart sank. There was no explaining this one. How could she have forgotten about being discreet while in the company of wanted pirates? _

_Working together to save the city during a desperate situation was one thing, but to be seen happily sharing a drink with a wanted fugitive that she had known prior connections with? No way the Marines could overlook that. She'd be thrown out of the Marines, if not arrested along with the pirates she had been seen associating with at the very least._

_The injustice of it all stung her. The Straw-Hats had saved Alabasta. And now that it was all over, this very important fact was going to be conveniently ignored and the heroic pirates were going to be rounded up like common criminals._

"_You'd better make yourself scarce. Let me handle this__.__" _

_Zoro was attempting to get to his feet, but Kuina knew that he was too spent. For him to be able to beat a whole squadron of m__arines_ _in his currents condition was doubtful at best._

"_Zoro, no! It's too late anyway. I'm the only one fresh enough to fight— they've all seen me anyway."_

_She did not want to do this. She did not want to fight her own people. She did not want to fight Tashigi either, but she could not turn her back on her newly sworn brother and the people who had saved all of their lives._

_As it turned out, she didn't have to._

"_...this is an order!" Tashigi seemed to be arguing with one of the men._

"_B-but this is a chance we can't lose!" the m__arine was protesting._

"_You will not lay a hand on them!" Tashigi's voice, in a passable mimicry of Captain Smoker's, was harsh and did not allow for any argument. Both she and Zoro listened in amazement as the marines, Tashigi included, made their way out of the area._

_Just before Tashigi left the scene she stopped. Kuina knew, from the silence, that Tashigi had given the two of them, still sitting leaning against the wall, a long, last look._

"_What the hell was that?" Zoro said for a second time, after the m__arines had gone._

"_That," said Kuina miserably, as the reality of her situation sank in, "was me not being able to go back to my ship again." _

* * *

The voices were lowered, punctuated with footsteps and the rustling of linen as someone moved about and straightened covers.

Kuina lay awake quietly. She hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but her sense of hearing meant she could hear every word of Vivi's conversation with the other man.

"...ah Pell. He was the bravest, noblest warrior I ever knew," the man said fondly over the snores of the sleeping pirates. Kuina did not recognise the voice.

"Yes, Igaram," Vivi's voice was thoughtful, wistful, yet not entirely sad. "I really wish I had the chance to thank him."

"It would have been the greatest honour for him, I think."

Kuina started. So that man speaking to her was the 'Igaram' Pell had admired so much. How ironic it was that he should have survived after all and Pell hadn't.

"_If_ _only you could have known your mentor survived. If only you could have lived..."_ the voices in her head whispered.

_Pell._

It hurt to think of Pell. While the war raged on, she had been able to put him out of her mind. But here, in the dark of the night and her own restlessness, there was no escape from from the ache that still burned inside her heart.

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. You barely knew him. And nothing ever happened. And nothing ever will now._

There hadn't even been a body to weep over. How powerful was that bomb? Would there have been anything left of his body? Perhaps it had disintegrated into nothing but dust to be blown by the wind.

Or perhaps... perhaps he had managed to escape and had been caught by the blast and was lying out there alone and injured in the middle of the desert...

_Stupid!_ her rational mind reprimanded. _He's dead. Stop hoping he isn't. It only makes it hurt worse._

Hope was such a cruel thing. And yet, Kuina knew, with frightening certainty, that if she could do it all over again, she still would have chosen to have those few precious hours she had had with Pell and the lifetime of heartbreak afterward, than the even more terrifying possibility of never having met him at all.

It made no sense. And yet for her, it didn't have to.

Her hand, dangling over the side of the bed, made contact with the smooth scabbard of a sword. _His_ sword. It was still covered with the grime of battle, the Alabastan sword that Pell had entrusted to her that she had had no idea what to do with.

Much like herself.

What was she to do now? Take up Luffy's offer and turn pirate? Surely she couldn't go back to the Marines, not after Tashigi had seen her with Zoro.

Sure, she'd have Zoro by her side, and the pirates he ran with seemed nice enough, but the idea of turning pirate and having the ones who had been her friends turn into her enemies filled her with dread. The memory of them all... Doctor, who had always been kind, Smoker-san, whom she respected deeply, and...

_Piers._

It felt as though the old, unhealed wound in her heart had reopened and _it hurt. _

Was her friend still alive?

If she had had a little more courage she would have known the truth a long time ago.

_But I didn't. I just ran away,_ Kuina thought miserably.

"_...to lose one's fear of death, one needs to learn to face it instead of running away from it," _the memory of Pell's voice suddenly echoed in her head.

_So do I go back, like a lamb to the slaughter? _thought Kuina morbidly. _Do I have the courage to do what you would have advised me to do, Pell?_

In the peace of the night, the voices in her head had quietened, but as she silently asked her question, she still wished it could give her an answer.

But there was nothing.

What was she doing, talking to the dead? Pell was gone. She couldn't hear his voice anymore.

There was nothing left. Nothing, not even a scrap of —

And then she sat up in shock, her heart hammering painfully.

"What is it?" cried Vivi in alarm. "Are you all right, Kuina?"

"I'm fine," Kuina replied distractedly, her mind racing. "I just thought I heard something..."

Just for the briefest of moments— had she imagined it? It was patently impossible for her to be able hear such a thing. And yet...

_Loose white linen, with dark embroidered stars, flapping in the wind._

What if...

_What if you're wrong? Do you think you'll feel better going out there and finding nothing? Or worse, __finding something but it not being what you had hoped for? _the nasty voice in her head whispered.

"I can't be a coward and run away this time!" she snapped back at it. "I have to know!"

"K-kuina-san?" stammered Vivi in confusion.

With a start, Kuina realised that she had said that last bit out loud. She forced herself to calm down.

"Vivi-sama. I have to go. Somewhere. But first I have a request to make of you..."

* * *

"Are you sure you won't try a riding duck again?" Vivi asked as she helped Kuina gear up. "You've just never had time to get used it it, and the Super Duck Squad are all excellent mounts!"

"It's just the gait of the duck... I don't think I can handle riding one of them, I'd fall off again."

It had been most embarrassing experience for Kuina when she had discovered that her motion sickness would kick in if she tried riding a duck for more than ten seconds. Falling off on the eleventh had simply been the most embarrassing end to her attempts.

"All right. I'm sure Eyelashes will take care of you," Vivi said as the camel she had opted for instead gave an approving grunt.

"Eyelashes?"

"That's the camel's name."

"Does it have very long eyelashes?"

"I suppose it does," said Vivi after a moment of amused silence.

They both had a little laugh at that, which helped to break the tension and Vivi's anxiety.

As the camel began its sedate walk out of the royal palace, Kuina could hear Vivi call out after her, "Kuina, what do I tell Zoro when he wakes up?"

"If I'm not back by then, tell him to go on and not to wait for me."

"But where are you going?"

Kuina replied softly, "I don't know, Vivi. I just know where it is."

* * *

The sounds of the city faded behind her, and the sound of rain on paved roads gave way to the soft patter of rain falling on sand. Kuina kept the heavy cloak Vivi had loaned her wrapped tightly around her person, grateful for its waterproof lining. The nights in the desert were cold, something she found bizarre considering how hot the place was during the day.

The camel and her were getting along splendidly. Whether because her Mantra made her extra sensitive to its emotions or because this was a particularly intelligent animal, they seemed to understand each other fairly quickly. 'Eyelashes' also seemed very willing to please, and she was able to set their direction without having to give any verbal commands or actions.

It was also because of this connection that she suddenly sensed the fear in the creature as they passed near the river.

She wondered what it was that had spooked it, a split-second before her senses too picked up a familiar presence. A _hated _presence, one she would never forget.

It was _her_. Miss All-Sunday. The woman with the sprouting hands who had beaten her, mocked her and thrown her down the stairs.

Kuina cringed at the memory, now made worse by the remembering what that woman had done to Pell.

Back then, Pell to her had just been The Man Who Smelt of Feathers, but now he was the reason why she had left the safety and comfort of Alubarna palace on a lonely search with only wistful hope driving her on. Revisiting the memory now only made her feel worse than when she had first witnessed it.

A sudden flash of anger gave her the resolve to act. She did not hesitate further, knowing the darkness of the night was on her side. At her urging Eyelashes changed his course, straight at where the devilish woman was hiding near a docked ship.

Seeing that she was going to be flushed out, the Miss All-Sunday reacted as one would have expected: she sprouted pairs of arms, which succeeded in stopping the charging camel. She must have been exhausted, though, because her reactions were slower than Kuina remembered, and it took her far too long to realize that the camel had no rider.

By that time, Kuina had closed in on her from her blind side, sword out and the hooded cloak covering her face so not a single inch of bare skin showed.

Her opponent was not about to go down without a fight, however. Before Kuina could cover the full distance between them, more arms sprouted out from various points from her own body, grasping at—

—an empty cloak that had been loosened and discarded.

Their silent battle was over. Kuina stood with Koyojaku at Miss All-Sunday's throat, breathing heavily from the speed that her dash had required, but knowing that she had won.

"You again. And very clever," Miss All-Sunday said to her softly. "I don't think anyone's ever tried covering up fully and then _stripping_ to escape from my devil-fruit before."

"Spare me your flattery. I will give you a minute to make your peace with this world —"

"— before you send me to the next?" the woman finished for her tiredly, almost as though she was resigned to her fate. "You have enough reason to want to. Do it then. I have nothing left to make peace with."

Kuina was taken aback at this. When she had last fought Miss All-Sunday, the woman had been arrogant, cruel and confident. Here, she seemed almost a different person, like a soaring raptor that had lost its wings and had been reduced to crawling on the ground in fallen indignity. Kuina almost felt cheated of her victorious rematch.

"That's it?" she demanded of the former Baroque Works vice-president. "You're not even going to try and bargain for your life?"

"What would be the point? I have no more hope left to live for."

Where was that the horrible, cruel monster of a woman that Kuina had wanted to defeat? She was certainly not present in this broken shell of a person. No, _this_ voice belonged to one who had already been defeated and didn't so much as care whether she lived or died.

Koyojaku's sharp blade, a scant touch away from cutting Miss All-Sunday's jugular, was withdrawn as Kuina lowered her weapon. "Then I won't."

This seemed to anger Miss All-Sunday.

"First Straw-Hat, now _you_? Why do you all keep insisting that I live?" the woman suddenly burst out. "I told you I have no more hope! What purpose do I have left? What am I supposed to do with myself?"

"I don't know," Kuina replied. "But there is no point in beating someone who already has been defeated. Figure it out yourself."

This seemed to push the woman over the edge.

"If you don't kill me here, then I will tell you what I plan to do! I was going to stow away on this ship — the Straw-Hats' ship! You have some connection with them, don't you? Are you going to allow that?"

Kuina could barely mask her surprise at her failing to recognise that the ship they had been fighting next to was indeed the ship she had chased for so long. And knowing what that woman was planning, possibly putting Zoro and the others in danger, she couldn't help but feel alarmed. Still, she knew with certainty, as much as she worried for Zoro and Luffy, that this was not her call to make.

"And what do you plan to do after that?" Kuina challenged.

Miss All-Sunday's voice was bleak. "I don't know."

In a way, it was terrifying how closely that woman's situation mirrored her own.

"I had thought to convince the captain to take me into his crew. After all, he spared my life when he should have left me for dead."

This new revelation stunned Kuina. Yet there was no doubt that this was not a lie, not from the way that woman's voice sounded. Perhaps it was also what that made her decide.

"All right, then."

There was a shocked silence.

"You're not going to stop me?"

"If Luffy saved you he must have had a reason to, and I trust Luffy's judgment. Between him and Zoro, I am sure they will be able to handle the likes of you. But —" Kuina projected as much menace in her voice as she could, "— if I do hear that you've so much as caused them a single whit of trouble or harm, know that _I will hunt you down myself_."

"You wouldn't be the first to say that," Miss All-Sunday replied wryly.

"I have no doubt — hey, can you write?" Kuina asked suddenly.

"C-certainly," Miss All-Sunday replied, understandably confused at the _non sequitur_.

"Oh good. Do you have paper and something to write with?"

"Yes... I do."

Kuina smiled slightly. Another idea had just occurred to her.

* * *

The ship of Black Cage Hina was moored at Tamarisk, Alubarna's eastern port. Anchored next to Smoker's modestly-sized brig, it looked positively enormous.

"Tashigi, nice to see you," began the marine captain. She was interrupted by an overly triumphant exclamation.

"AHA! HINA! I knew it! It _was_ you Smokey ended up running to for help. KNEEEEEW IT!"

Briggs' voice came from the stretcher that was being carried by the two marines following Tashigi. The injured marine had managed to raise his head to look at his surroundings. "Some things never change. Saved by a girrrrrrl!"

"Briggs, I'm sitting right here, you know?" Smoker pointed out from where he was sitting the top of the stairs. "I can hear you."

"Like I care, Smokey-bear," retorted his subordinate in an uncharacteristically carefree voice. "Serve you right for sending me alone on a dangerous reconnaissance mission, and not sticking around to receive my report! Stick-around... get it? Ha!"

"You—"

"What happened to Barkskin? He looks terrible!" said Hina, interrupting the beginnings of a quarrel.

"Officer Briggs engaged the warlord Crocodile in combat," Tashigi felt obliged to explain. "He was severely outmatched and sustained serious injuries."

"Not what Hina meant," the marine captain replied. "Barkskin! Why did you chop off your beard and hair? This new look of yours is terrible, your chin now looks like a plucked turkey! Hina hate!"

"That's what I told him when I first saw it," drawled Smoker as he exhaled a puff of cigar smoke. "I think he was trying to go incognito, though."

Tashigi briefly wondered if taking up a captainship in the marines turned people a little crazy.

"Thank you Smokey. You're the only one who understands me!" Briggs sighed happily, shifting in an attempt to make himself more comfortable. His height meant that his feet dangled awkwardly over the edge of the stretcher. "You're always pretending to be mean but you're really such a great friend... like Hina. By the way, Hina, I go by the name 'Briggs' now."

"Hina hates the new name too. Hina hate! 'Barkskin' sounded a lot better."

This caught the attention of a nearby Marine, who until then, had been content with silently (and besottedly) following Captain Hina around.

"Did someone say— Barkskin! Is that you?"

"Fullbody?*"

"It _is_ you! Haven't seen you in ages! Hey! What happened to your arm?"

"Oh, it fell off."

"Oh, so it did."

There was a choking sound from Tashigi at this.

"Aw, that's a shame. By the way, have you met Jango? He's a great dancer. Hey Jango, you gotta meet this old pal of mine." The marine elbowed his companion. "He doesn't look it, but he's a pretty mean dancer too."

"Reaaallly?" There was an ominously interested tone from the voices of the gathered marines.

"...he does one hell of a mean rhumba..."

_"Reaaaally?"_

Behind Hina's amused face Briggs was motioning at Fullbody as if in protest.

"It's waltz! Waaaaaltzh! I don't rhuuuummba!"

"Laws, he's even more obnoxious while he's doped up," came an irritable voice from the moored ship. Doctor Francis had emerged from the sickbay and was making his way towards his latest patient.

"Captain Hina, how lovely to see you — ah Tashigi, my dear! I hope you are all right." Then the doctor turned to the field medic who had been tending to Briggs, who was still prattling semi-coherently about dancing. "All right, stick-bug*, enough running your mouth off. Since you didn't have the decency to just die, let's get you into the infirmary— Seaman Wharf, just how much of a painkiller shot did you give Officer Briggs?"

"J-just the standard..." stammered the intimidated seaman.

"Laws, don't stare at me like a frightened rabbit," Doctor-san said in impatiently. "I heard the reports. Briggs must still slightly dehydrated from the effects of Crocodile's attack. The side effects seem to have hit harder."

"Hina noticed," said Hina.

A series of hysterical giggles emanated from the stretcher as it was carried onto the ship.

"That explains why you have that Tone Dial out as well," Smoker added.

The doctor only grinned evilly in response. "I can't wait until he becomes lucid again. He's never, ever going to live it down."

* * *

Chaka stood before the gravestone. Like the others in the graveyard, the memorial was in the shape of an ankh with the epitaph in gold lettering. It had been hurriedly prepared on the request of the royal family, but the stonemasons had done a good job for all that. It did not look any less impressive than the others in the Heroes' Memorial Cemetery.

There had been no body.

Chaka knew perfectly why it was an empty grave, but somehow it still bothered him.

At least Igaram had returned. He had been as affected to hear of Pell's death, just as Pell had to been to hear of Igaram's (supposed) death. As for Chaka himself...

"We were the greatest of friends, and I can't even shed a tear at your death. What does that say about me, old friend?" he said aloud to the marker, his smile forced and cynical.

Everyone had agreed that there was no chance of Pell's surviving the explosion. He had been in the heart of it after all. In fact, it was doubtful that there would even be a body left.

But until Chaka had seen the Pell's body with his own two eyes, there was always that lingering doubt there in the back of his mind, whispering that Pell _might_ have survived, and that pretty monument was nothing but a block of carved stone.

The bouquet of flowers had been laid on the stone earlier that day, by a teary Vivi. When the requirement to keep up appearances had no longer been needed, the princess finally allowed herself the luxury of weeping long and hard over the loss of her friend and guardian.

Yet she too had difficulty accepting that Pell was gone, and he had caught her gazing out into the desert more than once, scanning the horizon for...

Hope.

In the ribbon that held the bouquet together, someone had tucked a single feather. It was brown, with black barring and tip. It looked far too big to belong to any ordinary bird of prey.

* * *

The chill of the night had long since been chased away by the arrival of the sun. It was still cool, however. Kuina guessed from the feel of the fitful light on her skin that there were more rainclouds coming, and it would rain again perhaps later in the day. For now she had to make the best of the good weather and hurry.

But the desert was vast and empty and wild. How could she ever have thought it possible for her to find the exact place? It was a stupid hope. A false hope that she had been afraid to even confide to anyone. No. Better she do this alone and discreetly.

Yet, out in the desert, the silence was her ally. She could hear the tidings of the wind. She could hear almost everything for miles around. The shifting of sand on the dune tops. The slow breathing growth of the cactus. The scuttling of the sand-lion claiming the prey that had fallen into its pit.

The circling of vultures far, far above in the slate-grey sky. She knew from how the flapping of the flight feathers got louder that they had spotted a possible source of nourishment and were closing in on it.

And there, in the distant dune, she recognised the sound of fabrics best. This sound was of loose linen, white with dark stars, ragged and torn and half buried in the sand.

Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, but it was not due to the weak rays of sun that had filtered through the clouds.

She hurried.

* * *

Zoro shook his head in disbelief. That Baroque Works woman, Miss All-Sunday or Nico Robin, whatever she called herself, had been an enemy. Yet one by one, all of his crewmates had succumbed to her charms and were positively warming up to her.

He snorted. Talk about short-term memory loss! More than ever he missed Kuina's presence. At least Kuina was a better judge of character when it came to people.*

"You're Zoro the Swordsman, aren't you?" Nico Robin's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I have a letter for you."

His eyes narrowed as he glared at her suspiciously. "From who?"

"A girl named Kuina."

At this the woman handed him a sheet of folded paper the looked like it had been torn out from a notebook. The script on it had been written in a strong, clear hand. One look at it convinced him that Kuina couldn't have written it any more than he could have sewn one of those fancy kimonos she wore.

"Liar!" he snapped. "Kuina can't read or write! She's blind!"

"My, my, don't be so hasty," replied Nico Robin in amusement. "You didn't let me explain. I wrote it down while she dictated. She also said that if you did not believe me, I was to call you an idiot-moss-head-upstart and remind you to take care of her Wadou or else."

This sounded genuinely like something Kuina would say. "Why would she...?"

"I presume the explanation is in the letter itself. Go ahead and read it — I'll let you have your privacy. See you around, Swordsman-san."

With this, the annoying woman strutted off as though she had just conferred upon him some great favour.

He was tempted to just toss the paper overboard, unread, just to spite her. For all he knew it could still be a trick. But there was the possibility that this was the real thing, so he unfolded the paper and read it anyway.

_Zoro-kun,_

_I send this letter by a strange messenger. It is not my place to influence what you think of her, I trust your judgment._

_By the time you receive this message, you will probably be far away from Alabasta, and by my absence you will know that I am not joining Luffy's crew._

_Please understand that it is not because I still hold a grudge against your captain, or you. After meeting him I think I understand a little of what you all see in him, and why you choose to follow him of your own free will._

_However, from the recent events that I have experienced in Alabasta, I have come to understand that we need to travel different paths to meet again._

_Most of all, I need to find the true reason for my wanting to become the greatest swordsman in the world..._

* * *

Somewhere amongst the dunes of the Alabastan desert there is a little clinic. Long ago King Nefertari Cobra had commissioned this humble outpost to be built to service travellers seeking to cross the desert. With the war, most travel had ceased, so the clinic was empty and its staff idled.

Naturally, they were completely taken by surprise when a girl wearing a strange robe suddenly burst in without warning.

"Please..." Her breath came in ragged gasps."I need help."

* * *

… _I never understood it before, Zoro-kun. I wanted to prove to my father that I could be just as good as the son he never had and inherit the dojo. I thought that just aiming for becoming the best and proving __a woman could do it would be enough. _

_But something has changed..._

* * *

In the distance, Alubarna loomed. To the weary figure leading the camel, it was welcome knowledge.

"We're almost there," Kuina said to Eyelashes, or more accurately, the figure being carried atop the camel. "You're almost home."

They had seen her and that which travelled with her. Kuina knew this because one of them suddenly broke away from the other and came running pell-mell across the desert sand. As that person came closer, she was sure it was Vivi. A Vivi running with all her might, with tears streaking down her cheeks.

But as the princess neared them, she slowed down, then advanced slowly, as if afraid to believe her eyes. Behind her, the large man who had been talking to her had slowed his similarly mad dash into a slow stagger. None of them had eyes for anything but the figure swathed in white atop the camel.

Vivi's voice was barely a whisper.

"Chaka, it's— "

"— _Pell_," the voice of the man finished for her.

Kuina spoke haltingly. "I found him... out in the desert... brought him back home. It was what he would have wanted. It's..."

At this point her voice broke, unable to continue.

She had sewn the shroud herself, from the bedsheets the doctor had kindly given her. There had been nothing they could have done. Death had been nigh instantaneous, he had said. Pell had died even before his body even came to rest on the sand.

It had given her some measure of comfort to know that he had not suffered. The body had been surprisingly intact considering what it had been through. The theory was that it could have been due to his devil-fruit's latent power, but Kuina had not been spared the morbid mental image of a grievously-wounded guardian lying out in the wasteland, dying a slow, agonising death alone.

Behind Vivi, Chaka had fallen to his knees, his hands on the ground, clenched. His head was bowed, and one could not see his face, but his shoulders were shaking.

There was grief, yes, but there was also relief.

At last, the tears could fall.

* * *

_...something has changed, and now that I have seen true death that dream no longer fills me with determination as it used to. It is empty now..._

* * *

Kuina sat by the window, feeling the cool wind caress her face while the rain continued to drizzle anew.

Somewhere out there, Zoro would be sailing to a new adventure, each island bringing him closer to becoming the world's greatest swordsman.

And she wasn't with him. Once again she'd let herself be left behind.

_No regrets. _She told herself firmly. There had been a chance and a possibility, and she had risked it. Maybe it hadn't turned out the way she had hoped, but...

"_You gave us closure," Vivi had said amidst her fresh tears. "Thank you, Kuina."_

Closure.

A war had come and gone. Lives had been lived and lost. And what did she have to show for it?

Hands stained with blood?

A broken heart?

Voices in her head that would drive her mad if she ever lost control?

The possibility of being court-martialled for treason?

She shuddered at the possibilities.

"What are you going to do now?" Vivi, who had come to check on her, asked her softly.

"Go back to the Marines, I guess. I have no other choice. Zoro and the Straw-Hats are gone. I have no place to turn to."

"But won't you get in trouble?"

"I will. But I can't keep running away from my problems, can I?"

Vivi seemed to be on the verge of saying something when she was interrupted by the arrival of a servant. The princess went to the door and conversed in hushed tones with said servant, but Kuina's sensitive ears meant that she could hear it all anyway. Even so, she made no sign of having heard, because she did not want to acknowledge it.

"Kuina!" Vivi said hesitantly, after dismissing the servant. "There is a den-den mushi call for you... from the Marines."

Kuina took a deep breath, steeled her courage, and picked up the receiver.

* * *

_...Please understand, Zoro, that I am not giving up on becoming the greatest._

_But it needs to be something greater that drives us on. Something greater than mere title and status. Something that makes such a trivial dream no longer meaningless..._

* * *

Chaka peered into the room, and was surprised to see only Vivi there, a somewhat shell-shocked den-den mushi in hand.

"Where did Kuina-san go?"

"She received a call on the den-den mushi and just... ran off."

Chaka's brow furrowed. "Vivi-sama, I know you consider that woman an ally, and I am grateful to her for bringing Pell — " there was a strain in his voice as he spoke the name, " — back. But she is a marine from the World Government. You don't think she could possibly be..."

"I don't think Kuina-san would betray us now," Vivi assured. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I did overhear parts of the conversation. It didn't sound like anything of that sort. In fact, it was something about..." Vivi trailed off, as if trying to remember the exact words.

"Something about her 'peers out of danger'?"

* * *

… _I don't know what this 'something' is yet, or how I can find it._

_But the one thing I do know is that I can never become the world's greatest swordsman by solely aiming to be the world's greatest swordsman. And I cannot do it alone and at the expense of others who have stood by me._

_Please send my regards to Luffy, and do let him know I appreciate his offer although I did not take it up. As much as a part of me wishes I am going with you, I'm not meant to just keep following in your wake. I have to find my own path._

_Let us meet one day and cross swords again, brother._

_-Kuina._

_Oh, and tell Zoro that if he doesn't believe this letter is from me, he's a idiot-moss-head-upstart and he had better take good care of my Wadou or else._

_PS: Please ignore the above line, I transcribed that in error. -N.R." _

Zoro scratched his head. Some of it he understood of course, that Kuina wanted to stay back in Alabasta and that she was searching for something. But all the talk of aiming for higher to become the greatest swordman made no sense. Kuina had always been the type to think too far ahead.

He sighed, folded the letter and put it away, and relayed to Luffy Kuina's message, and life aboard the _Going Merry_ went on.

It wouldn't be until a time far in the future, deep in the waters of the Florian Triangle, when he, too, would finally come to understand the same truth.

* * *

The sickbay on board Smoker's brig was separated into two sections. One was the infirmary, which functioned as an intensive care unit for patients who were seriously injured. And then you had the doctor's office, which also housed a couple of smaller bunks for patients who were being treated or whom the doctor wanted under observation. They also served as spare beds for when the infirmary was full. Naturally, the doctor's office connected the infirmary to the rest of the ship, forming a buffer zone so the patients could rest in relative peace.

Kuina burst into the doctor's office breathlessly. She had rushed all the way from the palace to the ship.

"Would it kill you to knock?"

The voice came from the figure who was lying on one of the bunks, and it didn't belong to either of the two people she had expected to be there.

"Officer Briggs! I didn't know Briggs-san was injured."

"Ah yes. Got a bit dried up. And a bit of trouble with my arm. As in... it got torn off." The normally sour voice of Briggs' was lacking its sarcastic edge and sounded distinctly... what was the word for it? Floaty?

"Bit of an inconvenience, that." Briggs genuinely sounded as though he had left his umbrella at a restaurant and it was a trivial occurrence. "Expect you've come to see that fisherman eh? In the other room, that cranky old Francis is with him. Did you manage to get them?"

"Sorry?" Kuina wasn't sure how to respond. Given the offhand manner Briggs had just announced the loss of a limb, she wasn't sure if she should be taking anything he said seriously at the moment.

"The Balrog Wargs." She could hear him give a little shake of his head, as if trying to clear it. "You know, as in the Balroque Warg- Baroque guys who raided the ship?"

Oh, that. She did not like thinking about it. It reminded her too much of how she had almost gone over the edge in her hatred, and would have, if it hadn't been for – _Pell_.

The very memory of him brought a fresh new stab of pain and grief, but strangely enough, it didn't seem to hurt as much as it did before. Which was a good thing because the last person in the world she wanted to break down and cry in front of was Briggs. With effort she managed keep her composure and answer his question.

"Yes. Yes, I did."

"Good. Good." Briggs was now nodding his head in an uncharacteristically amiable manner. "Thought you would have been able to. They weren't that strong, you know. If you had been on the ship when they came they wouldn't have stood a chance."

If Briggs had stuck a knife into her gut and twisted it around, it couldn't have hurt her more.

But the galling thing was that it was true, and she knew it. She had always known it since that horrible day in Rainbase. If she hadn't accepted Piers' offer to join Smoker's group instead— and she knew he had done it just to oblige her— the raid would have turned out differently. And Piers wouldn't have been so grievously injured or so nearly killed.

Indirectly, some of it was her fault.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise. It's not like you disobeyed an order and deserted. Hah!" For a brief moment the floaty tone was gone and there was Briggs' normal, slightly mocking voice.

"Actually, I... "

"Well even if you did, you two are beaux, so no one would blame you..."

"Beaux-what?"

"Oh, you're still at that stage, are you? How oblivious... By the way, why did you forgive him?"

"Piers? It's not his fault he..."

"No! Not that backwater fisherman. The pirate hunter!"

It was something of a bolt from the blue. "W-what?"

Briggs sounded extremely annoyed at having to stoop to explain his words to her. It also seemed to have given him a brief moment of lucidity.

"I'm taking about Roronoa Zoro. Why did you forgive him?"

"Briggs-san, what do you...?" Kuina's heart started racing at this unexpected confrontation.

"Oh come on, you don't have to keep that façade up with me, you know? You had some cockamamie story about going after Roronoa because he had your family sword, but you ought to know I was the one who did your background check before Smoker agreed to let you join the Marines. Didn't take much digging to figure out the real reason you were all afire and wanted in on this chase was because that pirate hunter was your childhood friend."

The revelation that Briggs knew _that_ much about her, when previously she wasn't even sure he remembered her name, nearly had Kuina sitting down in shock.

"To be precise, you felt betrayed because Roronoa turned his back on you and turned pirate. Possibly because he was as close as a brother to you and what he was doing was going against the honour of your dojo."

The way Briggs prattled was extremely unnerving, and dangerously close to the truth.

"But today, you have a different, more relaxed expression on your face compared to what you had previously. I would assume something happened that settled the issue. Now, if you had killed or defeated Roronoa, I would expect to see you holding that sword of his, but you don't have it. Which means you must have forgiven him. Which brings me back to the question — why did you forgive him?"

In times like this, perhaps the most suitable answer would be the simple truth.

"I found out the reason why he turned pirate."

There was a ringing silence in the doctor's office after her confession.

"_That's it?"_ There was an unaccustomed depth of feeling to Briggs' voice that Kuina wasn't sure how to interpret.

"What do you mean, '_That's it_?' " she said cautiously.

"Just _that_? How could that — possibly be a reason good enough to excuse for betraying someone who's always stood by him — how...?" Her answer seemed to have broken him into a state of deranged semi-incoherency. "No. _That can't be true —_ it's disappointing. _You_ disappoint me. Go away Kuina. Just — _just go away!_"

Kuina, a little hurt and confused, wondered if the navigator had gone mad.

"Don't mind him, Kuina-girl."

She jumped. Briggs' ranting had disturbed her so much she'd failed to notice the Doctor enter the room from the infirmary.

"He's doped up on painkillers. I don't think they agree with him, he's been rambling about all sorts of nonsense." The doctor patted her comfortingly on the shoulder. "I see you got my message about Piers."

"Will Piers really be all right?"

"Why don't you come in and see for yourself?"

Minutes later she was in the infirmary, sitting by Piers' bedside and listening to his slow, steady, _natural_ breathing as he slept. It was a relief, especially in contrast to her memory of the last time, where every breath had been a bloody, gurgling, desperate struggle for air. She shuddered at the memory.

"Has he woken up since...?"

The doctor shook his head (she knew this by the sound of his swishing hair).

"I did hope you'd be around though, just in case he did. You would be the one person he'd want to see most, I think."

The guilt was overwhelming.

"I wish I could have been here too. C-can I hold his hand?"

"The one that isn't in the cast, yes."

Piers' hand felt rough and calloused, as one would expect from a someone who had grown up doing menial work as a fisherman's son. It felt strange to clasp his hands, now weak and limp, and remember how not too long ago, how steady and strong they had been.

For a while they sat in silence, and Kuina kept his good hand clasped between both of hers, hoping that somehow, the life from her own hands would flow through and help. A fanciful notion, really.

"His hands.. they're so cold," she said at last, breaking the silence.

"Blood loss. While he's out of danger, it'll be a while yet before we will know whether he'll make a full recovery or not," the doctor said gently. "I had a word with Captain Smoker about having him transferred to a base. It would be better for him to recuperate there —"

She'd stopped paying attention to the old doctor's words at that moment, because just then, she'd felt it. The tiniest of twitches in one of his fingers, sending a tingle of hope up her spine.

"_Piers_?" she gasped, hardly daring to believe it.

Beside her, she could hear the old doctor's sharp intake of breath. "_Laws_... he blinked!"

His voice, faint and incoherent, rose into her consciousness. But it was _there_. And thanks to the Mantra, she could _hear_ it. Her heart was singing with an indescribable joy.

"Piers! Can you hear me? Piers!"

There was a stirring from the bed, as eyes that had lain shut and unused for days slowly opened and focused on their surroundings. Then, the soft rustle as a head on a pillow turned a little bit towards where she was sitting.

"H-hey... Miss... Kuina." His voice was hoarse and feeble, but it still carried an incongruously cheery note to it. It was so stupidly like him that she could feel a treacherous brimming of her eyes.

"Do you remember what happened?" Doctor Francis asked sharply, whipping out a clipboard from nowhere.

"No. Throat hurts. Did I get... hurt in … fight?"

"You could say that," the doctor said wryly. "As for the throat — must be from the intubation. I'd tell you not to talk but I know from experience how futile _that _is."

"M- Miss Kuina... you're... crying."

"I'm not. I — I don't know why," Kuina replied, inelegantly sniffling and discovering that silk was a terrible fabric for wiping away tears. "I'm just so glad — you're _alive_."

Piers smiled and gave a feeble little squeeze with the hand that she was holding.

"Then... me too," he murmured before sipping back into unconsciousness again.

"Don't panic, dearie. This is just natural sleep," the Doctor assured her before she could react. "But he sounded quite lucid there, didn't he? I think we won't need to worry about brain damage, at least."

Kuina didn't reply. She was too busy bawling her eyes out in the cotton handkerchief that the doctor had tactfully handed her.

* * *

Tashigi was still struck speechless by the actions of her captain. Telling the Marine High Command something like that... how could he get away with such a thing?

"Hina can't believe you, Smoker," Hina said with a toss of her pretty head. "You disregard orders, insult the higher-ups, and yet your entire crew somehow gets promoted while Hina still stuck covering for you. Hina disappoint."

Not keen on being involved in the caustic exchange of words between Hina and Captain Smoker, she cast her eye towards land and noticed something.

"Captain Smoker, there's a procession coming from the royal palace. It looks like someone important."

That stopped the bickering between Hina and Smoker very quickly.

"Hm, Hina recognises one of the royal big shots, and they're definitely heading for Hina's ship. What did you do this time, Smoker?"

Captain Smoker just shrugged.

"I'll check the communications, Smoker-san," Tashigi volunteered and headed for the room in which the den-den mushi were kept. A quick check with the marine on duty confirmed that a transmission had just come from the Alabasta with a request for an audience with the officer in charge of their group of marines.

As another marine went trotting off with the den-den mushi to find Smoker and Hina, Tashigi wondered what the royal palace could possibly want with them to send a high-ranking member of their own Royal Guard all the way to their ship. Perhaps something about Crocodile...?

Rounding the corner on her way back to foredeck, she nearly tripped over Briggs, who was sitting sprawled across the passageway with his back against the cabin-wall and his long legs jammed against the side-railing.

"Briggs? Shouldn't you be resting in the infirmary?"

The older man scowled as he looked up at her. "Too depressing. That Doctor Francis has the worst bedside manner in the entire medical corps."

"Does the doctor know you're out on deck like this?"

"Who cares about that sadistic old man?" Briggs scowled, then winced as he adjusted his robe. One arm-sleeve hung conspicuously empty, a reminder of the price he had paid in his fight with Crocodile. "The drugs wore off and I told him I would blind him if he came near me with that syringe again. He said he'd shoot me with a sea-stone bullet if that was the case."

"Doesn't it hurt? Shouldn't the painkillers help?"

"No. Devil-fruit perks," Briggs replied non-chalantly. "Anyway, I decided to escape after that. Bunk was way too short — damned uncomfortable."

"And why are you sitting out here?"

"Well, I was trying to make my way back to my quarters... but I er... got a bit light-headed and had to sit down."

Privately, Tashigi reflected that Doctor Francis' bedside manner _was_ indeed sorely lacking. What the doctor _really _should have done was pretend to humour his difficult patient while surreptitiously handcuffing the distracted patient to the bed. In this case, preferably with a pair of sea-stone cuffs*.

"Well, what did you think would happen?" she scolded her colleague. "The doctor said you had a bunch of broken ribs, not to mention your arm and the rest! You shouldn't even be out of bed!"

"Oh, not _more _nagging now. I'm _fine_ — Tashigi, what are you doing?"

"Helping you get to your quarters. You're obstructing the passageway and posing a safety hazard."

"I don't need any help," he protested. But he also didn't resist as she helped him to his feet.

Briggs, being an officer, had the luxury of his own quarters on board. Fortunately, they got there without incident. Limping and with some difficulty, the wounded navigator made his way to his bunk and gingerly lowered himself into it without a word.

"You're welcome," Tashigi said, somewhat sarcastically.

"I didn't say anything."

"It's all right. I didn't expect it."

Her curt remark seemed to get through to Briggs' none-too sensitive consciousness. Because instead of saying something sarcastic in return, he took on a slightly more pacifist tone.

"Say, Tashigi. I heard what you were saying to Smoker ealier. About getting stronger. Well, couldn't avoid hearing it, actually, you were yelling it out for the world to hear."

Tashigi's face turned red at the memory.

"_The truth was, I knew who was responsible for the whole thing and what I had to do, but in the end, I couldn't do anything. All I could do was help a bunch of pirates and do what I was told."_

"_You idiot. If those tears of weakness pain you so much, then become stronger!"_

"_I WILL!"_

Briggs continued speaking earnestly. "If you really want to get stronger, I can introduce you to someone who can help you. A Captain T-Bone. A bit intimidating-looking and _way_ too emotional, but decent chap. Most importantly he's a skilled swordsman who can probably help you develop more than you tagging after Smoker."

"What's wrong with my following Smoker?" Tashigi asked, her voice dangerously low.

Briggs did not seem fazed by the warning note in her voice. "Look, Smoker's _Smoker_. He's good at heart, but all brawn and ideals, and he's not a swordsman. You need someone who actually specialises in the same thing you do."

"I'm not sure if Captain Smoker would —"

"— if you're worried about that, I can arrange it with Smoker. He owes me." At this Briggs motioned at his missing arm. "The reassignment doesn't have to be permanent."

Tashigi felt slightly uneasy. It seemed strange and unnatural that Briggs was suddenly so interested in her progression. "Thanks for the offer, Briggs-san, but I don't think —"

"Woman, stop dithering already!" Briggs snapped. His patience, which had never amounted to much, had given out. "Just take the damn offer! You're probably good enough by East Blue standards, but out here on the Grand Line you are nothing! Do you want to spend the rest of your Marine service being weak, inefficient and overshadowed by that blind girl you're so envious of —"

She acted without thinking. The next moment left Briggs clutching his cheek where Tashigi's hand had left a red imprint. She herself was still trembling with rage, so much so that the hot words she wanted to say couldn't even make it to her lips and stayed choked in her throat.

"Well, that's the second time you've slapped me in the space of a week," commented Briggs slowly, gingerly bringing his hand away and examining Tashigi's handiwork. "I forget how overly emotional some women get. I guess you're still in denial —"

"You insensitive ingrate! Who do you think you are, rubbing Kuina in my face?" Tashigi found her powers of speech again, but the pitch of her voice was still out of control. "You have no place lecturing me about my swordsmanship! You just use guns! And your devil-fruit!"

At this, Briggs gave her a _look_. Then, without saying anything, he leaned forward, reached under the bed with his good arm, and pulled out something that had been hidden underneath. Without comment, he passed it to her.

Tashigi stared at the object in disbelief. It was a sword. A very beautifully crafted navy sabre, with a rounded guard and curved handguard that was the prevailing fashion in the North Blue. Judging from the wear of the blade and grip, and the slight fraying of its scabbard, it had not been an ornamental weapon. In fact, despite the fine workmanship and material, the only decoration it bore was the engraved "B" on the base of the guard.

"This is...yours?" Tashigi felt her head whirl. If Briggs turned out to be another swordsman, it would be the most unfair thing in the world.

"Surprised?"

"The only blade I've seen you touch is a butter knife!"

At closer examination, Tashigi couldn't help but notice the layer of dust over the weapon, and the fact that the sword, while well-used, hadn't been maintained for a while. "H-How good are you?"

"I don't consider myself a swordsman, but I'm probably good enough to beat you," Briggs replied, with no trace of modesty or tact. "It's amazing what a devil-fruit with an extended reach can do when it comes to giving you the advantage in sword-fighting*."

Little by little, Tashigi felt her identity being chipped away. First Kuina, and now _Briggs_? Swords had been her thing, and now here was the revelation that she was nothing special, just a mediocre second runner-up.

"Well... first you're hiding a devil-fruit, and now you're a swordsman. This is just — _great._ I don't know why I even bother anymore!" Tashigi threw her hands up into the air in frustration. "Normal people just don't stand a chance out here in the Grand Line, do they? Why don't I just get a devil-fruit and be done with it?"

Briggs was absolutely unsympathetic. "Blaming that now? I should point out that that blind girl doesn't have a devil-fruit either, you know..."

_Of course, they had to start talking about Miss Perfect Swordswoman now._

"That's because she's ridiculous. She's just... just —"

"— _superhuman? _Lucky? Born with a gift? Which excuse are you using this time?_" _Briggs was always so unrepentant when it came to pushing people's buttons and this time was no exception.

She realised must have looked as though she were about to slap him again, because Briggs suddenly flinched. Catching herself in time, she controlled her anger, and to her surprise, it suddenly gave way to tired defeat. She lowered the hand that she wasn't even aware she had raised.

"Argh! I don't know," Tashigi found herself saying as she sat down heavily on the side of Briggs' bunk. "Better, I guess. I don't know how, but she's just —"

"— trained harder, and for longer," Briggs finished for her. "Under a sword-master who knew what they were doing. _The same thing I'm trying to arrange for you,_" he added pointedly, before discreetly scooting away just in case she decided to slap him again.

She didn't. True, she wanted to strangle him then and there but the problem was she couldn't, because deep in her heart she knew he'd hit the nail on the head.

"All right, Briggs," she sighed, after the rage had ebbed away. "I know you're trying to be helpful in your own way, but why can't you do it without being such an insensitive, arrogant, _ass?_"

"An arrogant ass who's right," he reminded her.

"Don't you ever get tired of being hated by everyone for being such a prick?"

"I'm fine with being a prick. And friendship is overrated. Is that a yes then?"

"Yes." It took Tashigi all her pride to say the next bit: "and thank you."

"About time you came to your senses," he replied gruffly.

Tiring of his abrasive company, Tashigi got up to leave. She'd worry about the ramifications of this encounter later. "I'll be going now. _Good evening_, Officer Briggs."

"Tashigi..." Briggs started self-consciously just as she put her hand on the door.

There was a moment of silence as Tashigi waited curiously.

"I didn't intend to... look — I'm not good at this... well... just wanted to say — thanks. For coming back for me back in Alubarna," he said stiffly and quickly at last. "You probably did save my life by getting me to medical help in time."

Tashigi stared at the gaunt figure with a feeling of surreality. Briggs thanking someone? It was almost unheard of. Then it sank in why he was trying so hard to help her and she smiled for the first time since the disaster at Rainbase. "You're welcome... Barkskin."

Briggs made a face. It didn't look as though it was being caused by the pain of his injuries. "Don't call me that. It's a dead name."

"Oh."

She was about to say more, but a look at Briggs' unhappy countenance convinced her that the tactful thing to do would be to drop the topic. Or at least change it.

"By the way, I'm taking your sword with me. It needs a cleaning and sharpening. Honestly, Briggs, this is a beautiful sword but you're treating it like some piece of scrap metal! I'll bring it back when it's done —"

"Oh, don't bother. I don't use it anymore."

"W- why not?"

There was a brief pause as Briggs suddenly avoided her eyes and regarded the ceiling. "It was a gift. To celebrate the occasion of my being awarded the captainship of the _Golden Hind_."

"Oh." And then it all started to make sense. Suddenly, Tashigi found herself feeling sorry for the fallen captain. Perhaps that was what spurred her to say something to make him feel better.

"Well... while we're at it, that thing you did — saving me from Nico Robin and then taking on Crocodile instead of just leaving me and running away, not a lot of people would have done that. I —"

"_Don't,_" Briggs cut her off. "Tashigi, you shouldn't get too chummy with me. I'm a disgraced officer with a bad rep, it's bad for your career."

It wasn't until she was half-way out the door that a suitable reply struck her. Turning around to face the morose man, she said: "Well, too late. You're going to have to deal with it. I'm already serving with Captain Smoker, you know."

As she left and closed the door, she could almost have sworn she heard a surprised chuckle from the room behind her.

* * *

"Seaman Kuina, the captain would like a word with you. He's on the bridge."

Kuina froze at the entrance of the marine into the sickbay. They had been most considerate and let her see Piers first, but the moment she had dreaded had finally come.

Still, there was no running away this time. Calmly she rose to her feet and followed the marine out of the infirmary. "I'm ready."

What were they going to do with her? Just dump her into a spare cell? Throw her out of the crew? Take her to the deck to be executed by firing squad?

As she stepped out into the brightness of the open deck, to say she was surprised would have been an understatement.

"Ah there she is," a familiar voice said. Kuina placed it immediately. That voice belonged to the canine-like man who had wept when she'd brought Pell's body home. He been a friend of Pell's — what was his name again? Chacha? Chuck?

"As you were saying, General Chaka...?" said a female voice that Kuina didn't recognise. It had a commanding quality to it, however. Kuina instinctively identified her as a Marine, and a higher-ranking one at that.

"Yes, Captain Hina. The royal house of Nefetari is immensely grateful for the support the Marines have extended during our difficult civil war. We have already sent a message of thanks to the World Government for dispatching you all here."

"I see..." Smoker said slowly, and Kuina could smell the cloying scent of his cigars — he must have been breathing faster than usual. Kuina had been a member of his crew long enough to know that this was a bad sign.

"We would particularly like to commend Seaman Kuina for her invaluable assistance to the Royal Army during the battle of Alubarna. Now that the peace process is underway, the royal family would like to request that Seaman Kuina remain as our liaison with the Marines, at least until stability returns to Alabasta."

So this was what Chaka had come for.

This had to be Princess Vivi's idea, Kuina had no doubt of that. And even with her limited understanding of politics, she couldn't help but realise that it was a stroke of diplomatic genius.

The World Government was currently in a bad position thanks to Crocodile having been outed as a criminal. By approaching them in this manner and offering them such an easy way to save face, there was no doubt that the higher-ups would jump at the chance. Granting the Alabastan's government's request for her to serve as a liaison would be such a minor thing in comparison that no one would think twice about agreeing to it as a show of goodwill.

And even if the liaison candidate had been suspected of some dubious behaviour, court-martialling her would be a diplomatic _faux pas_. Overlooking any complaints would be easier; just one more speck to add to the mound of unsavoury scandals they were already sweeping under the rug.

Kuina was oddly touched by the princess' concern for her. How many people would have had extended their influence to help someone they barely knew?

With a start she suddenly realised that Captain Smoker was speaking, and she had been so deep in her thoughts that she had tuned him out.

"...Kuina is a member of my crew," Smoker was saying to the general. "This expectation that I leave someone behind to serve as liaison is absolutely — "

"— the least the Marines can do," Hina cut in diplomatically. "However, General Chaka, the choice of a simple low-ranking seaman for this task may not be most suitable — "

"We _insist_," the general replied firmly.

"We will keep your recommendation in mind," Smoker said replied, and Kuina _knew_ her captain was giving the general one of his formidable glares as he did so. This did not intimidate the other man, maintained his expectant silence. It was a standoff of wills.

"Very well. We will await your answer," General Chaka said at last when it became clear no one was budging.

"Kuina," Smoker said to her immediately after their visitor left. "To the officer's room. Let's have a talk."

* * *

Kuina sat nervously as Smoker paced the floor of the officer's room.

"Well?" Smoker asked suddenly.

"S-sir?"

"Kuina, don't you have anything to say about this whole situation?"

Every ounce of self-possession Ichii-san had drilled into her served her well now. She kept calm.

"Captain, about what happened back in Alubarna, I can explain —"

Which was a lie actually. She couldn't.

Fortunately, Captain Smoker didn't seem interested in listening. "Yes, yes. Tashigi told me already, you were assisting the Royal Guards in finding the bomb. And you were also doing something else afterwards, weren't you?"

Kuina waited for the next part, expecting the worst. Smoker was going to go into the part where Tashigi had caught her with Zoro and how disappointed he was that she had betrayed his trust...

"What _were_ you doing anyway?"

She couldn't believe her ears.

"Tashigi-san didn't say anything?"

"No, we've been... busy," Smoker replied. "Busy dealing with corrupt warlords and World Government bullshit," he added under his breath. "Anyway, why did it take you so long to get back to the ship?"

For a moment Kuina's mind went blank. Then there was a sudden dawning of hope and a way out.

It was ridiculously straightforward, she just told Captain Smoker the truth. At least, the truth about helping the royal army search for the bomb, and then the body of the royal guard who had saved them all from the bomb afterwards. Smoker listened in silence until she had finished.

"One thing I don't get, Kuina. How in the world were you able to locate the body of that royal guard considering your...?"

"Condition, sir? It's something I've recently discovered — I'm able to sense... _things._ I don't know how to explain it — it's like I can hear people's intentions. And sometimes I'll know the way things will happen before they happen. And other things besides —"

"—hockey?"

"Sir...?"

"Hell. _Haki_," Smoker-san said, almost as though to himself. "Should have seen that one coming. That explains a lot."

"Explains _what_, sir?"

"Never mind. We'll discuss that another time. We need to deal with the current situation first. That royal guard you found was one of the important commanders of the Royal Alabastan Army, so that at least explains why those royals suddenly seem to be so attached to you."

"I had no idea the royal family would request for my continued services, sir."

Captain Smoker still wasn't paying full attention to her responses. "Did Doctor Francis tell you about Piers? I'm making arrangements for him to be transferred to a nearby Marine base, G-8, while he recuperates. If you want to, you can go with him."

"I — I would like that very much, sir. But what about the request from the Alabasta?"

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to, Kuina," Smoker told her sternly. "Screw what those royals want, you're not a diplomat — _you're a member of my crew!_"

Suddenly Kuina was overcome with an overwhelming sense of appreciation for Captain Smoker.

They were interrupted by the sound of the cabin door opening. Kuina knew from the sound of the footsteps that Tashigi had entered.

"Captain Smoker, there's been another call from Marine High Command about Alabasta's request. They're saying that Kuina is to be transferred—

" — as liaison, yes I know. But I'll be damned if I let those assholes think they can tell me what to do!"

"Smoker, stop being so difficult!" interjected another female voice. Kuina recognised this as one belonging to 'Captain Hina'. "You're on shaky ground already, thanks to your earlier outburst!"

"Well, the ground's going to get even shakier! Tashigi, get me the den-den mushi!"

"Smoker, Hina cannot keep bailing you out— "

"I'm sorry to have put you in a such a difficult position, sir," Kuina said suddenly. She had made up her mind. "It's all right. I will go."

"See, Smoker? Even your subordinate agrees with Hina!"

"Kuina, I told you — you don't have to go play diplomat if you don't want to."

Kuina was silent for a moment. "I won't lie, sir. I would much rather go to G-8 with Piers. But I need to start earning my keep. You've all done too much for me as it is." She turned to face Tashigi as she said this and knew from the change in Tashigi's aura that the other girl had understood the hidden message.

"I am very grateful to you all. If by my going to Alabasta as liaison I can help Captain Smoker and Tashigi-san, I will gladly do it."

"Very sensible," approved Captain Hina. "Any other objections, _Commodore_ Smoker?"

_"C-commodore?"_

"They've been handing out promotions like candy," scoffed Smoker, bristling at the new title.

"Smoker has no idea," there was a crinkle of paper as the Captain Hina handed something over to Captain Smoker. "Look at this! They even got past Hina's 'just a seaman' objection."

"You have _got _to be kidding me!" Smoker said after a moment's reading of whatever it was on the paper. "They went _this_ far?"

"What's going on?" Kuina asked curiously.

Smoker cleared his throat and spoke. "Well, Kuina, I suppose congratulations are in order..."

* * *

"A double-promotion! How wonderful for you, Kuina."

Kuina was back in her seat in the infirmary. She wondered if she looked as dazed as she felt.

"My head is still swimming from it all. A petty-officer? _Me?_"

"You should be very proud. That is quite a rare feat. I don't think I've seen that happen since my former captain — he was quite a remarkable person — jumped ranks from lieutenant to captain!"

"There is the caveat that I have to stay at Alubarna. Tashigi-san says it's not permanent, only a few months at most and I will be back with you all again."

"Still, it is terribly short notice. You have all your things packed already?"

"Yes, I didn't have much to begin with." Kuina hesitated as she considered Piers' sleeping form. "I don't suppose we could wake him to say goodbye?"

"It would be best if we didn't, dearie."

Kuina smiled sadly, and gave Piers' hand one last squeeze. "I understand."

"Would you like to leave them a note? I could write it for you."

"I would like that very much, Doctor-san."

"Right, let me get my notebook... let's see, what should I write?"

Kuina racked her brains. There was so much she wanted to say.

_Sorry for not staying by your side. Sorry for not being there. You are very important to me. I went crazy and nearly tortured a man to death because of what he did to you. I can hear voices in my head. I met and lost someone wonderful in the space of day. It still hurts. I found Zoro. We made up and he is now my sworn brother._

But so many things that she wanted to say, and paltry words on a single sheet of paper would never be able to fit them all.

"Well Kuina-girl? What should I write?"

"Just write: 'Get well soon. — Kuina'."

The doctor sounded a little disappointed at this. "Are you sure that's all?"

"It's all right, Doctor-san. Piers will understand."

"If you say so," the doctor grunted as he handed her the sheet of paper, which she carefully folded into quarters and slipped it into something that she had tucked in her obi. She then placed it next to the pillow Piers' head rested on.

The doctor peered closely at the object. "Th-this is-"

"Yes," said Kuina. "Keep them safe for him, Doctor-san. And thank you, for everything."

After she had left, the doctor picked up the pair of carefully cleaned and mended knuckle-duster gloves, and tucked them away for safe-keeping.

It would still be quite a while before their owner would be using them again.

* * *

It felt strange coming back to the palace again, knowing this time it was going to be her home for the next few months.

Kuina had said her goodbyes to the crew earlier. Much to her surprise Tashigi had volunteered to accompany her to the palace. Given that her superior officer had apparently been promoted to ensign and was surely above such duties now, Kuina hadn't expected it at all.

"Captain Smoker expects at minimum, a den-den mushi report every week. More frequently if anything of importance is happening."

"Yes, Tashigi-san."

"Well, this is it, the royal palace people are waiting for you ahead. I guess we say goodbye here."

Kuina didn't need Tashigi to tell her this. She could sense Vivi's and Chaka's presences right outside the door. But for the moment, she and Tashigi were alone.

"Good luck, Petty-Officer Kuina."

"Tashigi-san," Kuina put down her bag, and bowed deeply. "There are things I have said previously that I regret very much. Please let me apologise for them. I am in your debt for all that you have done for me."

What Tashigi had done remained unspoken, but they both knew what she meant. Despite the bad blood between them, Tashigi had kept her silence and covered for Kuina even though she had no reason to do so. And Kuina knew that this was something she could not leave unacknowledged.

For what seemed like a long time there was no response from her rival. And then —

"_What do you think you're doing_? Don't bow to me! Stop that, Kuina!"

"Tashigi-san —"

"Don't 'Tashigi-san' me! Just stop that!"

Kuina did as she was told, feeling extremely foolish. "Tashigi-san. I meant no offence. I just don't want to part as enemies."

"We're not enemies," said the other girl. "We were never enemies. We're _rivals_. The only time you're going to be bowing like that to me will be when I've defeated Roronoa for the title of the world's greatest swordsman before you have. Got it?"

A slow smile of understanding crept across Kuina's face. "Got it, but like _that's_ going to happen."

"Don't get cocky, or you might just see me getting the Wadou Ichimonji from Roronoa before you."

"We'll see about that —" Kuina said as she extended her hand and shook her now-official rival's, "— but welcome to the race."

* * *

His gravestone had been wrought of a fine stone called alabaster. It was symbolic of the country, they said. Kuina had no idea why, but beneath her sensitive fingers it felt cold and smooth, and radiated a sense of tranquility that was very different from the rough sandstone her mother's marker had been hewn from.

Two graves, two different worlds.

The graveyard back home was situated on a lush grassy knoll, and always smelt of the mountain wind, incense and ashes. This one smelled of the desert, and the heavy bouquets of cloying flowers that had been laid out to honour the dead. She wondered if what she was going to do here was appropriate. Their cultures were so different, after all.

"Do you require assistance with something here?"

Kuina jumped, startled. Then she whirled around to face the person who had spoken.

It was General Chaka.

How had he managed to sneak up on her like that? She'd been sure that her Mantra should have been able to detect his presence but he'd seemingly popped out of nowhere and she hadn't heard a thing.

"It's all right. I was just —" she trailed off here, sudden disturbed by the aura she was getting from the man, " — reminiscing."

Her control over the skill had improved somewhat, but she still didn't understand much about it, and it would take much experimentation and training to be able to hone it to a level where it would be useful. Belatedly, she wondered why Captain Smoker had called it 'haki', and pondered how much more he knew about it.

In hindsight, she should have used that opportunity to obtain more information. Perhaps when she next reported in she would ask about it.

"So it would seem. You appeared to be lost deep in thought."

"I must admit I was. I did not notice your approach."

"The form of the jackal is silent and swift," General Chaka's words were cryptic, and she wondered what it meant.

"I was just thinking," she began, thankful for Ichii-san's drilling in controlling her display of emotions. "Of how I owed Pell-san a very great debt."

"We all do." There was a guarded evenness in General Chaka's voice.

They stood in awkward silence for a while after that. Feeling as though she had intruded into a place she didn't belong, Kuina decided to defer her own errand and attempted to excuse herself hastily.

"I'm sure you want to pay your respects to Pell-san in private. I should go."

General Chaka caught her by the arm as she passed, "Why did you go so far for him?"

Kuina froze. She had carefully kept her foolish feelings for Pell hidden, or so she had thought. But this man supposedly knew the deceased very well. Did he suspect?

"In Rainbase, he saved me from myself. And even though I knew him for a very short while, he... changed the way I perceived the world. I am very grateful to him."

General Chaka seemed to consider this for a while. Kuina had a suspicion that for all he had done for her, it had been mostly for Vivi. To him she was still an outsider, and he didn't quite trust, or accept, her yet.

Much to her surprise, his manner seemed to thaw a little. "Then there is no need for you to go. Please, continue with what you were doing."

Refusing would have been rude. Self-consciously, she turned back to Pell's gravestone and unwrapped the item that she had brought.

"What do you have there?" asked the other man, "— wait, that's... _where did you get that sword_?" The tone was more astonished than accusatory, but it still startled her in its vehemence.

"Pell-san told me to keep this safe for him. Right before he left."

Kuina had been intending merely to leave the weapon at its master's grave, but now she realised that this was perhaps not such a clever thing to do. Then a thought occurred to her.

"General Chaka-sama, would you please take Pell's sword for safekeeping? I know he did leave it with me but I think you would have more right to it than anything."

Kuina had the impression that General Chaka was suddenly seeing her in a new light.

"Certainly, but — this is quite a revelation."

"I don't understand."

He was giving her an odd vibe again. "I've known Pell for a very long time. If he entrusted his precious heirloom sword to you, he must have taken to..." the man trailed off, as if lost in thought.

"Uh... General Chaka?"

"Never mind. And please, no need for 'General'. Just Chaka will suffice," It was strange how much friendlier he had gotten suddenly. "By the way, is that perfumed incense you are holding?"

Kuina coloured. "They were the closest things I could find to what we use at home. In my homeland, we burn incense sticks to honour the dead. I wanted to pay my respects in my own way."

"He would have liked that, I think. Let me light it for you."

"Thank you," said Kuina softly, as she put her palms together and knelt with the scent of the burning incense rising up to the heavens.

* * *

The sun was sinking low over the horizon. The innkeeper sat upon the threshold, once again looking out as the sun set over Rainbase. A train of wagons had just arrived from Alubarna.

He was surprised to see a familiar figure leave the group of travellers and approach his inn.

"Lady Kuina!"

"Innkeep-san," the girl bowed respectfully despite his protests. "It's been a while. I apologise for not coming earlier."

"There is no rush. All good things come to those who wait. I am sure that Pell-sama and yourself must have been too busy keeping order in the kingdom in the aftermath of the rebellion to come visit yet."

Even as he said it he knew it was the wrong thing to say. A sudden grimace of pain crossed the girl's face.

"Innkeep-san..." There was a controlled grief in her voice. "Pell-sama... fell. In the final battle in Alubarna. He sacrificed himself to save everyone."

There was only quiet as the sun set upon Rainbase.

"I... see," the innkeeper managed to say at last. "So that was why he didn't return. I hadn't heard. How tragic. As they say, only the good die young."

She could only nod. But the innkeep was a kind man, and he could see the pain that it had caused her.

"You came to fulfill the promise on his behalf, I think," he said shrewdly, but kindly. "I truly appreciate it. Come, sit here and drink with me. There is a magnificent sunset in progress, and I shall describe it to you..."

A sake cup clasped in hand, Kuina smiled as she listened to the old man's words, describing the beauty of the desert sun as it set over Alabasta.

* * *

Not too far into the future, the world would soon begin to change.

Unbeknownst to Kuina, the capture of Fire-Fist Ace would irrevocably change the course of history. And few could have predicted that the fate of that same Whitebeard Pirate should have affected hers so profoundly.

_But it did._

* * *

**End of Season 1**

* * *

***Chapter Footnotes:**

**[1] Kuina being a good judge of character =** Given her misconceptions about Luffy and Sanji, it was all I could do to type this out with a straight face.

**[2] Briggs and Fullbody = **FYI, Fullybody was actually Briggs' marine friend mentioned in chapter 9, whom Piers' knuckle-duster gloves were originally meant for. How did they know each other? Through dancing! Of course!

**[3] "Stick-Bug" =** Term originally coined by reader RusalkaHime! I loved it so much I decided it had to go in this chapter!

**[4] What Doctor Francis should have done **= My beta, Callosum, came up with this gem of a comment while proofreading. Paraphrased here because I HAD to find some way to put in somehow!

**[5] Extended reach giving the advantage in sword-fighting =** A good enough swordsman can still overcome this, but it sure makes life for the person with the shorter reach harder.

* * *

_**A/N: And that's Season 1 complete! Bring on Season 2!**_

_**Sorry for the "TO BE CONCLUDED" scare last chapter. Admittedly my original plan a year or so ago WAS to end the story at this point, but I found that I had much more that I wanted to write about, and I was not happy with the way my original ending went. So I bit the bullet and changed it and extended the story to a Season 2.**_

_**I apologize to Pell and PellxKuina fans for how this romance turned tragic. Initially I really DID intend to write a happy ending for them, but no matter how I tried, every ending I came up with where Pell survived did not work out right and the story would stall and die halfway. **_

_**Eventually I figured out that after Pell's sacrifice and all the talk of having the courage to face the possibility of death, having Pell survive and have a happy ending was rather hollow. I do like Pell's character, so on thinking it over, I decided I had to do his sacrifice justice.**_

_**But for those of you who would prefer the romantic happy ending, I have included my best aborted attempt below (after the Q and A) as an alternate ending. I hope that makes up for it somewhat.**_

_**In other news, this fanfic now has its own TV Tropes page! It was quite a pleasant surprise, so thanks go to Andyroid who set it up! (Link's on my profile if you want to get to it)**_

* * *

**Q and A:**

* * *

**Ninjagirl987 (2011-09-25 . chapter 13) ...please please bring Pell back! They're to cute together to end it now! Pell doesnt get enough love as it is.**

**A: **Oh dear... I am truly sorry I couldn't. But I did keep in the alternate happy ending in just for those of you who wanted to see this. In this continuity Pell IS dead. But if you feel like continuing the romance, feel free to make use of it whatever way you want. Because AUs can have AUs too!

* * *

**Someone (2011-08-25 . chapter 13): Regarding Marie she was the nurse Charloss forced to marry him and shot her fiance just before Zoro showed up? Anyway I'm really curious what direction you're going to take the story since it will take a while before we get our next canon Smoker appearance( Just after Enies Lobby if I'm correct).**

**A: **You know, I've been dodging questions right and left about Marie since that single line was dropped, but I think I'll just say now, there is a reason why the story didn't end here and why there's a Season 2 coming up ;)

* * *

**Darth Luffy (2011-07-27 . chapter 13): ...the addition of Kuina to Smoker's group works so well and you fill in gaps in the manga that we were only shown the end result.**

**A:** Thank you! I do firmly believe that good fanfic should expand canon, not overwrite it completely. I hope to do more of that next arc!

* * *

**Heart Of Zeo (2011-07-27 . chapter 13): I most certainly did get the feather duster refrence, and I would get some grog, but the only kind at hand seems to be the kind that can melt through prison bars.**

**You're wandering into dangerious territory here though, no telling what sort of cameos we'll see eventually.**

**A:** Look behind you! It's a three-headed monkey! ;)

* * *

**Pom Rania (2011-07-19 . chapter 13): ... Pink wings. I just looked stick insects up, and they DO have pink wings; but it's still hilarious.**

**This stick-insect zoan is actually incredibly cool, once I got past my first OMG SLENDER MAN NO reaction. It... "tastes" like the kind of thing you'd find actually written by Oda; its most "powerless" form, that of a small bug, can be used to appear to vanish. **

**A:** :D This is the first devil-fruit I invented, so I tried to keep to the spirit of canon devil fruits as much as possible. You know, something that doesn't seem powerful but becomes so through creative use. What was the trope for it again? "Heart is an Awesome Power"?

**Pom Rania (2011-07-19 . chapter 13): Continuing my TV Tropes Imaginary Drinking Game (pretend to take a shot whenever I see something that I can name the trope associated with it):**

**A:** * looks at list * You know, in hindsight, my work is so Tropper-rific it was really a matter of time before someone made a page about that XD

* * *

**Bisepadi (2011-07-18 . chapter 12): My wife and I have finally gotten round to commissioning an idol in your literary likeliness. It should do...at least until we can finalise our kidnapping plans. Keep up the pace!**

**A:** Uh... thanks. * nervously glances over shoulder *... I think.

PS: You get to read fanfic with together with your wife? You lucky lucky person!

* * *

**Xoroth (2011-07-11 . chapter 13): I have to say the reveal of Briggs's DF was a pleasant surprise. Looking back, I realize there were several hints but dismissed because that was simply the way he was.**

**A:** I was dropping quite a number of hints for several chapters. At one point I wondered if I was going too far for describing Briggs as having a 'stick-like' frame, heh!

* * *

**ShineX (2011-07-02 . chapter 13): This is a truly awesome fic, I definitely hope you continue this :)**

**A:** Yes I will indeed. Season 2 incoming!

* * *

**Paper-chan (2011-06-27 . chapter 13): And as glad as I am for her to have finally met Luffy, I sincerely mourn the loss of the 'Evil-Luffy' scenes.**

**A:** I miss writing them too... they were ridiculously fun to do. Still, it won't be the last we'll see of Kuina's imaginary mind-theatres (to borrow a phrase another reader coined) for sure!

* * *

**PyrpleKnyght (2011-06-24 . chapter 13):**

**I can't say that this is another excellent chapter added to this fanfic, simply because it is so much better than all the others. That's not to say that the previous chapters are bad, quite the opposite in fact, but this chapter was an amalgam of everything that Phalanx does wonderfully. **

**[…]**

**Perhaps the one thing that I dislike is what has happened to Tashigi. This isn't to say that it's a bad idea, but it has certainly made her the least likeable character in my eyes. My hope is that Phalanx will take the time to help Tashigi get over the feelings of jealousy. **

**A:** Whoa! You scared me with the first line there! (but thanks!)

I did intend to develop Tashigi further, as seen in her scene with Briggs which I wrote as far in advance as a few chapters ago. I have a feeling I stopped at the wrong point last chapter and left the wrong impression though. I hope this chapter makes up for it!

* * *

**Kisdota-The Freak Gamer (2011-06-23 . chapter 13): ...ARE YOU GONNA DO SOMETHING WITH THE ENDING OF ALABASTA? OR SOMETHING NEW?**

**A:** Something with the ending of Alabasta. And then something new. :D

* * *

**Lord of Murder (2011-06-23 . chapter 13): ...yay kuina and zoro are friends again I'm really glad that's finally happened.**

**A:** Thanks! I wrote the original scene where they made up a long long time before I even reached chapter 13. I wrote it during the Loguetown chapter actually. It was one of those things I knew was going to end that way.

* * *

**Yuriski-1st (2011-06-22 . chapter 3): Yeah, you are right that Kuina joining would change the whole dynamic of the crew...on the other hand, is it not fun to imagine what would happen if somethings were different?**

**A:** Indeed! I think I saw a couple of other fics where they had Kuina alive and part of the SH crew, so I think I'll leave those continuities up to those other writers ;)

* * *

**BoredBluejay (2011-06-22 . chapter 13): I love the part with Pell! I really wish we'd got to see more of him in the original, so thank you for this! But he didn't really die in the original, right? Are you going to keep that the same?**

**A:** I guess this chapter answered the question :(

But Pell also plays a significant part in my other fic "The Supernova Eleven", if you still want to read more fics with him in it...

* * *

**Vi-Violence (2011-06-22 . chapter 13): ...I loved how Tagashi called Kunia while she was running around with Zoro and he was all "tell her to shut up!" that was great...**

**A:** ^_^ That was actually a last minute addition, but it brought to mind so much of real-life mobile phone shenanigans I HAD to put in it.

* * *

**Ultra One Piece Fan (2011-06-22 . chapter 13): By the way, can Kuina become a stowaway in the future chapters? I wanna see more interaction between her and the crew.**

**A: **Since I did promise more interaction, I hope Robin counts!

* * *

**SilverRainFalls (2011-06-21 . chapter 13): I must admit, Briggs is a lot more...likable...after that battle with Crocodile. Pompous and and a pain he may be, but Briggs has my everlasting respect now.**

**A: **I'm so happy that you get what I intended to do with Briggs. :D I wanted to write him as a very blunt and tactless character, but not without redeeming qualities. I do confess that I enjoy writing him very much because he's so very flawed, which makes it more interesting (sounds a bit strange I know).

**SilverRainFalls (2011-06-21 . chapter 13): I love how you connected past and present with Crocodile's failed attempt in the New World. Never thought you would bring that up...**

**A: **The Crocodile/Briggs parallel thing wasn't planned. It just popped out while I was writing that scene. I realized the similarities and decided to put it in XD

* * *

**Majin Hentai X (2011-06-21 . chapter 13): Kuina has to stay with the marines, but if they don't follow the Strawhats into Skypiea what will they do until the war?**

**A: **Since a few people have asked... yes, there will be a slight time-skip after this chapter. . All I'm saying for now.

* * *

**Sorakage Sama (2011-06-21 . chapter 13): Even though it was a beatdown, Briggs vs. Crocodile was one of the most interesting brawls yet.**

**A: **I think the Briggs vs Crocodile fight was definitely one of the most brutal I've written, but it's not easy to make fight scenes interesting in the written form. I'm glad to hear you found it enjoyable!

* * *

**ijpowers92 (2011-06-21 . chapter 13): I am thinking that Nico Robin should probably do some research on Briggs herself. I can totally see her making some sort of comment how someone like Briggs should know better than to believe anything Marine HQ says.**

**A: **Sadly, Briggs IS a marine, so it would take something more to make him see through the world government's propaganda. It would be interesting to see this topic revisited, though. Perhaps something for the future...

* * *

**Lupus-Cantus-Grimoure (2011-06-21 . chapter 13): poor pell! how would affect the story when she finds out that Pell is alive! only time would tell along with your godly guidance to the story on what would happen IF she finds out, will she retain feelings for him?**

**A:** I did try, but unfortunately it didn't work out. I am so sorry :(

I think the below alternate ending I made sure to include for you more than anyone else. It's a shame it didn't make it to the final version, but I hope you'll enjoy it nevertheless.

* * *

**Season 1 alternate ending:**

* * *

"Lady Kuina, Pell-sama has awakened."

Kuina darted past the doctor and into the room.

"Pell-san! I'm so glad!"

Moments passed, and Kuina knew by the puzzled silence that Pell hadn't understood the movement of her lips. He was there. She could feel his presence, somewhat disoriented, but something was not quite right with him.

"Pell-san?"

"I'm sorry Kuina," Pell said softly, "I know you are trying to say something, but I... I cannot hear you. I cannot hear anything any longer."

There was a horrified silence as realisation sank in. Pell had survived the bomb, but he hadn't escaped unscathed.

"I didn't realise... oh no." Then she composed herself. "Pell-san, there is still hope. The doctors back in Alubarna..."

Still silence. He hadn't understood. It was as though there was now a one-way barrier between them. And frustratingly, she could understand him, but she couldn't make him understand her.

And worst of all, and she could sense this failure of communications, something that most people took for granted, was upsetting him.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Kuina, but this isn't working. We should just give up trying to talk. Just leave me be."

At a loss for words, Kuina could only obey and leave the room. She wondered how in the world she could have thought that finding Pell alive would be the end of her quest and there would be a happy ending.

* * *

"With time most of his other injuries will heal, but...I do not want to disappoint all your hopes. It is highly unlikely Pell-sama's sense of hearing will return. If it returns at all," Dr. Ooh looked haggard. The royal doctors had swarmed and done what they could for the damaged guardian, but there had been limits to their medicine.

Vivi was aghast, but she kept her composure. "I see. Thank you, doctor."

The princess waited until the doctor had left he room, then sat down hard and buried her face in her hands, overwhelmed.

"How am I going to tell him?"

Kuina put a comforting hand on the other girl's shoulder .

"You don't have to. Pell-san already knows."

"I know he knows. But I was hoping for hope. Something to break him out of his... you know what I mean Kuina. He's trying not to show it, but I can't help but feel it, it's like he came back a different person."

Kuina knew what Vivi meant. Ever since their return from the desert, Pell had been distant. Always polite, but somehow detached. At first they had attributed it to shock and trauma but as time went on those who knew him well could feel the difference. It was as though he was physically there but in spirit... he wasn't.

This feeling was brought home again later that day, when she came to visit him, and found him listlessly sitting up in his sickbed, still swathed in splints and bandages, his aura uncharacteristically dark and morose.

"Pell-san," she greeted, touching him lightly on the arm to let him know of her presence, "you look better today." She mouthed the words slowly so he could read her lips.

"You say that every day, Kuina."

"Because it's true. Everyone will be glad to see the Hero of Alabasta back on his feet again!" She had never been the cheery type. That had always been Piers' role, but for his sake she tried.

"Does anyone truly believe that what's left of him would be capable of it?" replied Pell bitterly.

The unsaid thoughts in his heart carried through to her Mantra with horrifying clarity.

_It was better to die a hero than to live a cripple._

This despondence was so unlike what she remembered of the man that it shook her.

"Vivi, Chaka and Igaram do."

There was a pause. An awkward one as well.

"I can't deny that," he said after a while. Perhaps he had also seen the crestfallen look on her face. "They do. Which makes it worse when I have to disappoint them."

His voice, previously steely and sure, now seemed hollow and tired, and there was a depressed tone to his voice that Kuina was sure had never been there before.

It almost sounded as though he almost wished he hadn't lived through the bomb.

It also disturbed her because it was hauntingly familiar. She had been there before, right after the flames had claimed her eyesight, her dreams crushed and her future shrinking in on her. Her prison had been the darkness, and his would be the silence.

And she would have remained in it if it were not for Zoro.

Her experience gave her the intuition to know what to do. She picked up Pell's sheathed sword, the one that he had left with her, and placed it back into his hands, forcing her face into an expression of determination.

"You asked me to take care of it for you," Kuina mouthed the words slowly and firmly, so that Pell could read her lips without any possibility of making a mistake, "But I didn't hold on this sword to see it remain unused. You saved me, and I won't let you give up. I have faith in you."

Impulsively, she put her hand on his, willing him to come out of the dark shadow. With her other hand she swept back her hair, laying bare to him the ugly scars that the face paint could not fully conceal.

Just like her feelings for him.

At first he froze at the unexpected contact. Then he understood. She could feel his change in mood and braced for the inevitable rejection. For stumbling words about how he was flattered by her attention but the feeling wasn't mutual.

But Pell said nothing of that sort.

And he did not pull his hand away from hers.

It was strange how in a single moment of silence, the world could change so much, and one's world could open from such a set path into an endless ocean of possibilities.

There would be a time in the future, when old wounds would heal and the broken bird would fly again.

There would be a time in the future, when she would eventually master Mantra and leave the sandy island of Alabasta to be the greatest swordsman in the world.

But right now, there was time. And Kuina knew that at this moment, she held in her hands someone who needed her, and someone who was no longer out of her reach.

* * *

**THE END (alternate)**

* * *

_**A/N: And that's it. Looooong chapter, wasn't it? I can't believe I've actually completed Season 1!**_

_**Season 2 should commence hopefully December/January. I should be releasing another chapter of 'The Supernova Eleven' first (unfortunately I don't think I will make it in time for the 1-year anniversary, which falls on October 10th), then it will be TABCF's turn again!**_

_**Thank you all for your reviews, favourites, and patience. I can safely say that they are what kept me going, especially through the Writer's Block!**_

_**Oh, feel free to write in and let me know what you thought of this chapter, or to yell at me for killing Pell off, or to speculate on what you want to see in the next!**_


	15. The Winged Master and Factual Justice

**_Author's Note: The story assumes that you are already familiar with the canon (both manga and anime), particularly that you have read the One Piece manga cover story "Getdatsu's Accidental Blue-Sea Life", and watched the anime's "Navarone G-8" filler arc. Knowledge of both are required for optimum understanding of this chapter, so I would recommend brushing up on those before hitting this chapter. _**

**_Special thanks go to the wonderful callosum for betaing!  
_**

* * *

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will.**

**Chapter 15: The Winged Master and Factual Justice  
**

* * *

It was a bad day to be a pirate. It was unlucky enough that this particular crew had managed to attract the attention of the normally lax Marines, but to make matters worse, two of the squad had turned out to be devil-fruit users. Very efficient devil-fruit users who didn't seem to be even breaking a sweat in the process of mopping the floor with them.

To add insult to injury, they were casually chatting while doing so.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"A long time since _what_?"

"Since we've fought together like this."

The first marine was a burly white-haired man who was utilising his sea-stone tipped jutte with considerable vim. "Haven't done it since the academy days."

His companion, a tree-like man-monster, grunted as he pounded a pirate's head into the ground with one of his appendages. "That's because you always run off on your own and hog all the fights, Smoker."

"Well, who's the one who keeps saying his devil-fruit's not suited for fighting?"

"You know bloody well I specialise in espionage!" the stick-monster retorted. "Fat lot of good that does when all you ever do is send me on missions to do reconnaissance and then kick down the front door five minutes later!"

A scream from one of the pirates interrupted the rant. The unfortunate outlaw had been on the receiving end of a blast of the stick-monster's burning chemical spray.

"Why're you being so bloody nostalgic today, anyway?"

"Heard some rumours... apparently some pirate got Crocodile's open Shichibukai position by capturing Portgas D. Ace."

"That Whitebeard commander with the fire logia whom you ran into at Alabasta? So what about that?"

"I also heard of some talk of them moving you back up to probationary Captain."

"They must be desperate," mused Briggs. "Can see why... Marine forces will need bolstering once Whitebeard gets wind of this — still, captainship'll be a nice change from being your replacement Tashigi."

"Briggs, you do know you're a piss-poor replacement Tashigi, right?"

"Pfah! Admit it, you miss her since she went training with T-Bone."

"Shut up, Barkskin."

Briggs scowled at Smoker. "Don't. Call. Me. That."

"Don't try and play psychoanalyst with me then, stick-bug."

"How she puts up with you is beyond me."

"Pfah, and now you sound like Hina."

"As if I wanted to sound like Hina?" Brigg's deep baritone voice immediately switched an attempted falsetto. "Briggs irritate at Smoker. Briggs pity Tashigi and wonder how Tashigi has patience to deal with Smoker. Briggs- SMASH!"

A pirate found his face accordingly smashed through a smoke logia's body and into a wall.

"Bastard, you did that on purpose." There was a lull in conversation as Smoker reformed himself. "So what are you going to do once they give you a ship?"

"Why the hell do you bother asking that when you know the answer to that one already?"

"Still hasn't changed, eh?"

"Of course not. It's still 'Track that bastard down and kick his leathery arse all the way across the Red Line'," Briggs punctuated each word with a vehement punch to a pirate.

"Can't argue with that. Well if you see him, tell him I said—"

The pirate captain, who had been trying to escape, was sent flying with a final punch to the face .

"—hi!"

The pirate captain's ungraceful trajectory ended when he hit the wall with a painful crunch before crumpling into a heap at the base.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

* * *

"...and I've been invited to be part of Princess Vivi's entourage."

"Again?" Smoker was perched on a broken wall, watching as Briggs secured the heap of defeated pirates.

The den-den mushi in his hand had its eyes half-closed as it continued speaking.

"Yes, the Princess has been quite busy with her diplomatic missions. I've barely had any spare time for my combat training with General Chaka."

"Speaking of which, Kuina... how is the haki training going?"

An audible sigh could be heard from the girl on the other end of the line. "Progress has been slow. Unfortunately, no one seems to be very familiar with haki here, I've had no luck finding a trainer, and teaching myself has its limits."

"We'll just have to see about getting you a proper Marine haki trainer once your assignment is over. Which should be soon."

"So it's been confirmed, sir?"

"Not quite yet," Smoker said, still keeping an eye on Briggs. "But soon enough, Kuina. Soon."

* * *

"So you'll be leaving soon?"

"Chaka-san!" Kuina replaced the receiver of her personal den-den mushi. "You startled me! I can never sense you when you sneak up on me in that jackal form of yours."

The general laughed. "You'll have to forgive me, Kuina, but that little jump you make never gets old."

Kuina pouted. "You're making fun of me."

"I may be, but I hope this will be adequate as a peace offering." There was a rustle of paper as Chaka passed her a wrapped parcel.

Kuina unwrapped the parcel and smiled in gratitude at its contents. The cloying scent of incense was unmistakable. "Then we shall have peace."

"So tell me about this festival of yours," Chaka said later as they made their way to the royal graveyard.

"It's called the Obon festival. It is tradition back in my homeland to honour the spirits of the departed during this period. "Normally, we take this time to visit the resting places of our ancestors, pay our respects, and put the memorial stones in order. Since I couldn't be home this year, I figured..."

"Of course. _Pell_."

Kuina nodded and placed the lit incense sticks in front of the well-kept gravestone.

"Yes," she said softly. The stones were well-maintained by the palace custodians, so there was not much for her to do. But somehow being here helped.

"Did you come to say goodbye to Pell as well?"

"Your ability to read my mind is quite uncanny, Chaka-san."

"The jackal sixth sense does not miss much."

"Yes, I shall have to break the news to the princess soon. Captain Smoker expects my assignment to end in the near future and I shall have to leave to resume my Marine duties."

"She will miss you."

"I will miss you all."

"You will still be coming with us to Ukkari Island, of course?"

"Of course. I would not desert the princess on her latest diplomatic mission."

Chaka gave a cough. "Actually, it's not really a diplomatic mission. Vivi-sama has been working so hard lately Terracotta thought that it would be a good thing for her to take a little break. And it just so happened that she received an invitation from an old friend, so on our trip to Ukkari, the place we'll be visiting will be..."

* * *

"...Ukkari Hot Springs Resort! Welcome, Princess Vivi and party!"

"Uncle Goro!"

"Kohza! Good job escorting the royal party— oh, is the lady quite all right?"

"Crab," Kuina managed to gasp queasily. "The shaking and the swaying..."

"Kuina does not travel well," Vivi explained.

It was an understatement. The poor girl looked almost green in the face, even under her layer of makeup.

"Such a shame. Well, Lady Kuina, I'm sure you'll feel better once you have some time to settle down in the springs."

"Thank you," she replied, but even the old man could tell that her voice was a little strained. He wondered why. His nephew, Kohza, found out the reason later. "You're not going to the springs?" he said in astonishment.

"It's not a good time for me to go to a hot spring," Kuina explained hastily. "I'll just relax by the viewing terrace. I'll be fine. Go ahead without me."

"Is there something wrong? I could tell Uncle Goro to— _ouch_! Vivi, what did you do that for?!"

Vivi had given Kohza a sharp little dig in the ribs with her elbow, much to the young man's confusion.

"But Vivi, isn't it a bit strange for her to come all the way here to a hot springs resort and then stay away from the water? Something's not right!"

"Lady Kuina, are you ill?" Igaram, who had taken notice of this exchange, asked. "Do you need Dr. Ooh to see to you?"

"I— I'm fine, Igaram-san," replied the girl, flustered. "There's no need..."

"Don't be shy. If you are unwell you should see a doctor. Your well-being is our concern, we insist—"

**"Oh, do stop needling the poor girl!"** Terracotta snapped. **"And you men, show some discretion! A woman's monthly times are difficult enough as they are!"**

Her loud voice echoed through the resort. Staff and patron alike stopped what they were doing and began to turn their heads towards the source of the noise.

Vivi brought the heel of her palm to her forehead in mortified sympathy, while Kuina's face swapped its sickly green hue for a bright red one. After a second or so for Terracotta's words to sink in, Kohza and Igaram's faces quickly turned the same colour as well.

"Th-thank you for your concern, Kohza-san, Igaram-san. But I... I'm going to the terrace now. Enjoy the springs!" With this, Kuina turned tail and positively fled from the gathered company.

"See? Now you've gone and embarrassed her!" scolded Terracotta, blissfully unaware of the irony of her words. It was at this point when the men decided that a tactical retreat into the changing room would be a wise course of action.

"You knew," Igaram said accusingly to Chaka later as they settled in the baths. The general had studiously avoided eye contact or any comment during the entirety of the earlier exchange.

Chaka simply tapped his nose. "Yes I did, actually."

"You could have warned us!"

"Can we stop talking about this topic now?" came an irritated voice from across the baths.

They did.

* * *

Out on the terrace, Kuina was taking in some peace and quiet (sorely needed after the mortifying incident earlier) with a cup of tea.

According to most of the people around her, the view was magnificent. She would have to take their word for it, but she did find the ambiance and tranquility of the place soothing, so she enjoyed herself anyway. Cradling her cup, she settled in a thoughtfully-provided comfortable chair and began mentally composing a letter to Piers.

.

_Dear Piers,_

_It's been a while since our last letter. I hope you are well. How are things in G8? Captain Smoker mentioned you were getting special training of some sort from the base commander himself. I think that's wonderful._

_I'm still at loose ends finding a trainer for that Mantra-haki-thing. At the rate things are going, It looks like I'm going to have to wait until I get reassigned before I can progress any further..._

.

Sadly, the peace and quiet did not last long and she was interrupted in the middle of her mental composition by a commotion emanating from the front desk.

"...tell me where he is!" a voice, deep, rumbling and absolutely furious, bellowed. "...or else!"

This was followed by a crash, and then screams as panicked patrons began running for cover. Sensing that something was amiss, Kuina quickly snatched up her sword and did the opposite.

As she drew closer to the site, she began to piece together a mental image of what was going on. The desk-clerk of the resort seemed to be facing down the source of the commotion. The troublemaker in question, a heavy-sounding man with a deep voice, was radiating barely-controlled killing intent. He had already smashed the front desk into splinters, if the sound was anything to go by, and was menacing the hapless clerk.

"Stay back!" Kuina shouted in warning to the clerk. "He's dangerous!"

"Do not come between me and my truth, blue sea-dweller!" The troublemaker had sensed her approach and for a moment, diverted his attention to her. "I have searched long to dispense judgment upon this miserable apostate, and I will not be denied!"

"I don't care a whit about your truth," Kuina responded coolly. "But you're threatening innocent people and I cannot have that."

"_Innocent_? I am a High Priest of Bilka, and the heavens have sent me here. We will have our justice!"

Kuina had no idea what the so-called 'High Priest' was talking about, but she wasn't interested either. "Well, High Priest, I am Petty-Officer Kuina of the World Government Marines and I represent Justice here. Leave now, or I will make you."

The High Priest did not seem to care much for her authority. "I warned you. So be it!"

Her mantra kicked in briefly. Kuina felt the premonition of something large and heavy the newcomer was going to throw at her. Koyojaku flashed from its sheath as she gathered her own killing intent and struck. The projectile, one remaining half of the front desk, was further reduced into quarters which fell harmlessly to either side of her. The momentum of her stroke carried her forward, and she launched herself in a counter-attack at the giant.

The familiar thrill of battle was intoxicating. Her battle-lust, previously quelled in the war for Alabasta and with Pell's death, had reawakened within her once more. How long had it been since she had fought a real opponent? Far too long, that was for certain. This common-place bandit was going to find out the hard way that he had bitten off more than he could chew.

Unaware of how he had just doomed himself, the giant continued to fight. It had to be said, in addition to being strong, he was also surprisingly fast, He met her strike by blocking with a large wooden column that he had wrenched out of the building, and then swung the improvised weapon back at her. Koyojaku's blade protested at the forceful contact as she clove the hard iron-wood pillar into two. Her opponent, unfazed by her display of swordsmanship, simply swung what was left of his pillar at her again.

_A simple thug with no skill_, she thought with disgust. As before, Kuina cut the pillar, and prepared to follow up with a slash that would drop her opponent, giant or not, in a single blow.

But she never had the chance to, because that was where her fight suddenly went all wrong. Her opponent had anticipated her action, and cunningly chose the moment when her blade was still making its way through the wood to wrench it sideways. Her sword, unable to cut from the flat, was wrenched out of her grip and went flying away, still embedded in what was left of the pillar. She heard it crash into the ground of the terrace some distance away.

It was in that moment of shock when Kuina found herself suddenly disarmed and unaccustomedly vulnerable.

"A blue-sea dweller who dabbles in Mantra." The High Priest did not seem to find the fact that he had gained the upper hand over her surprising or gratifying. In fact, he merely sounded irritated and dismissive. "Judging from your surprise, it must have been a long time since you've fought an opponent who was a match for you! Well, I am that, and far more!"

Too late, Kuina realised that she had vastly underestimated her opponent. The High Priest even knew about Mantra, even if he didn't seem to be using it himself.

The sudden burst of fear at being made helpless sharpened her senses. Then it all came flooding in, the uncanny whispers of Mantra, warning her of where the blows from that other man would fall, where to dodge and jump to avoid them, and where to start edging towards to reclaim her sword.

Kuina tried her best to fully tap into her Mantra, but the shock of realising the High Priest knew of Mantra kept interrupting her focus, and she had a close shave or two where one of the High Priest's massive punches nearly snagged her. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to concentrate. How could everything have gone so wrong so quickly?

"Kuina!"

It was Chaka. She knew it not only by his voice, but also because of the odd, muddled feel of his presence. He was using that devil-fruit ability of his again—

"—_oof!"_

The blow was glancing but it was enough to send Kuina spinning to the floor, stunned.

_Distracted! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! _

She tried her best to roll out of the way, but she knew it was futile. That High Priest had incredible reach, and unless her timing was absolutely perfect, there was no way she'd escape him just by doing that. He would be able to smash her with his giant fists before she could even get up. She braced herself for the inevitable crushing blow she wasn't sure she could dodge.

But the blow never came, because her attacker was forced to divert his attention to defending himself. A new combatant had joined the fray and had taken that moment to charge right into the thick of things. Despite intercepting the blow meant for him, the High Priest was knocked almost half-way across the terrace, and safely away from her.

The saviour was not Chaka, because Kuina could feel his presence materialise from behind her. He had shifted out of his jackal form.

"Kuina, are you all right?" he asked, pulling her to her feet.

"I'm fine, Chaka, but I need my sword."

"He disarmed _you_?" Kuina could hear the disbelief in her sparring partner's voice.

"I got careless," she admitted, her cheeks burning with shame. It had been too long since she had fought anyone who had been truly intent on killing her, and without realising it, she'd let herself get complacent. "Don't underestimate him. He's powerful, and fast. And smart."

"Is he after the Princess?"

Ah, of course. Inevitable that Chaka's first concern would be Vivi. He was a true Royal Guardian after all.

"I don't think so. He was looking for someone, but he mentioned a 'he' when he threatened the desk-clerk."

"The same desk-clerk currently fighting that winged giant?"

_"What?"_ Kuina sputtered. The one who had come to her assistance had been the very same desk-clerk she had been defending? Yet again, she refocused her disrupted Mantra, and sure enough, it was the desk-clerk's presence she sensed. "He'll get himself killed!"

Then another thought occurred to her: "That High Priest has _wings_?"

"They both have wings," Chaka replied, heaving over a piece of wood with a crash and extracting her sword from it. "The desk-clerk too. I think they must have some sort of past connection... Kuina?"

Kuina wasn't listening to the general. She wasn't even reaching out her hand for the sword which Chaka was returning to her.

"Kuina! Hurry, we must go to his aid!"

"Actually, Chaka-san..." she said slowly, barely believing the evidence of her senses.

The strange desk-clerk was dodging every single one of the giant's attacks, and thanks to some sort of propelling punch attack, was giving as good as he got. The giant didn't seem too bothered by those hits, but at least he was now on the defensive.

"...he seems to be doing fine," Kuina finished weakly.

Chaka too, had noticed the clerk's performance. "Kuina, that man... his movements!"

Chaka was her sparring partner, and he knew her fighting style fairly well by this point. Like her on her good days when she was focused, the desk-clerk had the ability to predict every single one of his opponent's attacks, but unlike her, he seemed to be doing it a lot more consistently. There was no doubt about it.

"Yes. That man... he is using Mantra."

* * *

When the alarm had gone out that a fight had broken out somewhere in the resort, the first priority of the royal party was to get Vivi to safety. While Chaka went to investigate, Igaram, assisted by Kohza, led the rest of the party to relative safety.

"I hope Lady Kuina will be all right," Kohza asked in concern as they waited in the concealed underground basement. It was also used to store the resort takings. "She said she was going to the viewing terraces..."

"I'm sure we have nothing to worry about. Even if she doesn't look it, the girl is a Marine officer! She regularly spars against Chaka!" Terracotta assured, patting Vivi on the arm as she did so.

Vivi nodded, but Kohza noticed that she nervously fingered her Peacock Slashers as she did so. She was worried too.

"But they've been a while. I'll check it out anyway," Kohza said quickly. "I know this place better than most of us here."

Without waiting for Igaram to respond, he slipped out of the safe room and back to the main complex.

In the distance he could hear the sounds of fighting and objects breaking. (Great... the repairs were going to be a pain unless Gedatsu-san could get the Forest Boss back and working for them again.)

Just as he neared the viewing terrace, the sounds stopped. He quickened his pace and rounded the corner to find that the fight appeared to be over. Whoever had perpetrated it was nowhere in sight. What was in sight was the Lady Kuina. She was kneeling before Gedatsu-san, and speaking very earnestly.

Kohza couldn't hear what she was saying at first, but as he drew closer he did manage to make out some words.

"...please, take me as your student!"

"What happened?" he asked Chaka in confusion.

"The one making trouble decided to make a run for it when all three of us combined our onslaught. We decided not to pursue as it might be an ambush."

"Okay..." he said slowly. "But why is Lady Kuina kneeling before Gedatsu-san?"

"It seems that she wants him to become her teacher. He does not seem to be keen on taking her on, however. He has been just standing there ignoring her all this while."

Chaka sounded rather doubtful about the whole affair. But then again, Chaka didn't know what Gedatsu-san was like. Kohza sighed.

"Gedatsu-san!" Kohza raised his voice at the resort co-founder. "You forgot again! You can't give her an answer unless you open your mouth and say something!"

Chaka gave him a look of ludicrous disbelief at this. Gedatsu-san however, reacted by jumping up with a start.

"I forgot to tell her I will take her as my student! How careless!"

* * *

"...so you're saying this Gedatsu person is some sort of former priest who just happens to be a master of your type of haki?"

Smoker had been surprised to receive an early report from Kuina. He figured that it had to be something special for her to go out of her way and sure enough, it was.

"Yes, Smoker-san. I'm not sure of his level of mastery in comparison to Marine standards, but he certainly is far more skilled than I am."

"Then I think you did the right thing. Every little bit helps, and even few weeks of light training under someone who knows what he's doing will make a difference."

"Actually, it will be intense training. Princess Vivi has suggested that I end my liaison duties early and stay at Ukkari."

"I see. I'll make the changes to our arrangements then. Make sure you make the most of the opportunity."

"Yes, sir!"

"Oh, by the way, about the man who attacked the resort: Briggs managed to dig up some information on him. Ukkari was not his first time. He's known as the 'Mad-Monk' Urouge. He and his pirate crew started raising a lot of hell earlier this year. HQ put a bounty of 55 million on him."

"That's almost as much as Zoro's!" Kuina sounded shocked.

"Yes, and it'll probably go up after the news gets out that he was involved in an attack on Alabastan royalty. It's no wonder he gave all of you some trouble.— something bothering you?"

"I'm fine, sir. But..." Smoker could hear the hesitation in her voice. "I do want ask, do the Marines have sword-smiths of their own?

"Something happen to your sword?"

"It's nothing serious, just a notch. I only discovered the damage after the fight, but I- I would really like to get it repaired."

The tone of her voice left Smoker no doubt that to Kuina, any damage to her sword could never be 'just a notch'. He shook his head. That girl and Tashigi were like two peas in a pod. "I'd talk with Tashigi about getting it repaired when she gets back from her training. She's the sword nut around here and would know the proper channels."

"Good idea, sir. I will do so."

Smoker sat back thoughtfully after he had finished the call. Briggs had previously briefed him on his assessment of Kuina. And as he had noted, the girl and Roronoa still did have some sort of rivalry going on. She wasn't going to be pleased at her inability to defeat someone with a bounty near his range.

It was a shame she hadn't been able to get that Mad Monk pirate, but on the upside, that meant that once he got her back with the crew again, she was going to be pushing herself harder to get stronger.

He approved. With the inevitable war looming, they were all going to need it.

* * *

"So I guess this is goodbye," Vivi said as the royal party prepared to leave for Alubarna. Kuina would not be returning with them; Terracotta had made arrangements for her belongings to be sent to over to Ukkari.

Kuina nodded, still trying to come to terms with the fact that she would most likely never see Alabasta, the place that had come to feel so much like her second home, again. Even worse was the idea of saying farewell to the people who had been so much a part of her life in the past few months. Captain Smoker had said they were going deeper into the Grand Line after this, and from what she could tell, it was not likely they would come back to this part of the Grand Line for a very very long time.

She would have to make sure that she kept herself busy training with Gedatsu-sensei, because the loneliness and homesickness would probably be too depressing otherwise.

"Kuina, I know you're going out after the others soon once you rejoin your crew. I have a favour to ask: if you meet with Luffy and the others again, could you deliver this letter for me?" The princess slipped her a sealed envelope.

"Of course I will."

Kuina briefly wondered if Luffy could even read the thing, but she supposed the rest of the crew or even Nico Robin (presuming she was still with Luffy) would be capable of reading the letter out to him at the very least. She hoped the woman wasn't making trouble for the crew. When she confided to Vivi about what had happened, the princess had been a little upset, but had also understood the reasoning behind her decision to let Nico Robin go.

It was strange, really. She and Vivi, they had both been offered places on Luffy's crew, and even if they had refused, they still trusted Luffy and his uncanny judgment.

_Damn it_, she thought as she hugged Vivi. She was going to miss her friends in Alabasta.

"I'll miss our sparring matches," Chaka said, when his turn to say goodbye came around.

"So will I, Chaka-san." And she meant it. Even if they hadn't started out that way, she now considered him the closest friend she had in the whole palace. After Vivi, of course.

"I'm sorry to hear about that sword of yours. The royal blade smith back at the palace would jump at the chance to repair it, but the style is so different from ours he fears he would not do a good job."

"It's all right," Kuina replied unenthusiastically. The topic of Ichii-san's damaged heirloom sword with that notch in the blade was something of a sore point.

She already knew the complications: a weakness in the blade meant further usage of the compromised weapon meant it would eventually break under the stress. Knowing her luck and how much fate hated her, it would probably happen at the worst possible moment, just as she was fighting a famous pirate with a hundred million bounty or something like that.

Kuina could already imagine just how it would happen:

_It would be a hard fight; a life-or-death battle with hundreds of lives on the line. And at the end, even with a broken sword and no hope of winning, she, Kuina, would keep fighting and take down the pirate captain before getting overpowered. The outnumbered Marine forces would then be finally subdued and the crew taken prisoner. The officers would be lashed to the mast and forced to watch as the rest of the crew walked the plank at gunpoint._

_All because she had been careless and damaged her sword._

_Of course, Commodore Smoker (who would have happened to be away at that time) would immediately mount a rescue operation and come after them. He'd then descend on the pirate ship in a rage, surrounded by a cloud of smoke, and teach those pirates a lesson or two about how no one harmed his subordinates and got away with it. Then he'd free the crew and they'd all join in on the fight, and finally defeat the pirates once and for all._

_But even if the rescue was successful and everyone was safe, Koyojaku would still be ruined beyond repair. She would probably never be able to find a swordsmith capable of reforging it and have to settle for some other commonplace katana. _

_Maybe she'd get over the experience and be even more fired up to go after Zoro to get her Wadou back. But __then, the worst would happen. Ichii-san would show up, somehow having heard of how Kuina's carelessness had resulted in the destruction of the precious heirloom sword. Which also meant all Commodore Smoker's hard work coming to the rescue would have gone to waste, as Kuina's impending demise from the hands of her former master would be all but guaranteed in that situation. _

Kuina shuddered. This was something she really didn't want to think or talk about at the moment. But Chaka apparently did. She wondered why.

In fact, he seemed to have something on his mind, and was currently struggling for the right words to express it.

"Kuina, there's something I've been considering talking to you about for a while now, but the events of today have convinced me that I should withhold it no longer."

"Withhold what, Chaka-san?"

"You're a fine swordswoman, Lady Kuina, but without your sword, or without it in the best of condition, you would not fare well in another fight—"

Kuina tensed a little. The memory of her inglorious encounter with the 'Mad-Monk' Urouge flashed in her head. She knew Chaka had her well-being in mind, but still it stung that he was taking her lapse in dependability so seriously.

"—it would be best if you considered carrying another weapon until the blade is repaired."

"I thank you for your advice, Chaka. I will requisition a spare sword the first opportunity I have." Kuina kept her voice controlled and cordial, as much as she disliked being told something she already knew.

"No, I have a better idea, and a better sword I think you would rather have."

Saying this, Chaka placed the hilt of a sword into her hand. The feel of the pommel, the cross-guard, the weight... It was all hauntingly, achingly, familiar.

"Th-that's Pell's sword! You brought it here with you?"

"I'd already meant to pass it back to you earlier, but I... wavered. I just couldn't bear to part with it." Chaka said, his voice far away, and a little sad. "That sword has much sentimental value to those of us who were his close friends. But he left it to you at the very end. It didn't feel right for me to be holding on to it any longer. And it is a fine sword... one meant to be wielded by worthy hands."

"Chaka... I..." Kuina was touched, and a little ashamed at herself for assuming the worst of her friend. What was wrong with her recently? She seemed to be going around with a permanent chip on her shoulder and she had no idea why.

"Pell would have been happy, I think, to know that his sword is in good hands. Perhaps that was what he had intended when he left it with you."

They had a touching farewell, and much too soon, it was time for the royal party to go. Once again, Kuina found herself alone in a strange land, the keeper of an orphaned sword and the bittersweet memories of the one who had wielded it.

"_Take care, Kuina, and may the spirit of the Guardian Falcon watch over you always."_

* * *

Briggs scowled as he worked his way though the stack of reports in Smoker's much-neglected office. Commodore Smoker really needed to appreciate his intelligence resources more. But since Smoker wasn't about to do it, as his XO, it had fallen to the warrant-officer to pick up the slack.

The thing was, Briggs knew that the Smoker was sharp, but only in a street-wise, intuitive but uncannily accurate way of his own. Personally, it drove Briggs up the wall. Being right didn't matter when you couldn't explain to higher-ups how you were right, but Smoker just never seemed to grasp that.

The den-den mushi rang. Briggs raised a prominent brow. A communication or report to Smoker at this time was unusual. He picked it up dutifully, regardless.

"Briggs here. Commodore Smoker is unavailable at the moment, I'm afraid. He—" Briggs sputtered in surprise at the voice on he line and the words it spoke. _"Me?_ Yes, sir. Of course. Right away. I'll be right over."

He stared at the den-den mushi for a long moment after the communication had ended. Then he heaved a deep breath, composed himself, and walked briskly out of the office.

The passageways of G-1 were filled with busy marines going about his business. Thanks to his long stride, he outpaced most of those heading in the same direction to reach his destination in record time.

A polite knock elicited a "Come in!" from the occupant of the room. Briggs did as he was told.

"Ah, Warrant-Officer 'Barkskin' Briggs. Take a seat. Thank you for coming so quickly."

"Thank you sir. And er, I don't go by that name anymore. It's just 'Briggs' now."

He took a seat. The warrant-officer's curiosity was eating away at his courtesy, but his manners won out in the end and so he waited for his commanding officer to say his piece. Of course, there had to be some other purpose to the meeting. A Marine admiral with many claims on his time wouldn't just summon an inferior subordinate to his office just for a simple 'how are you?' message.

"How's the arm?" the admiral asked by the way of breaking the ice.

"Fully regenerated. I should have full motor control once I finish therapy."

"_Ararara..._ that devil fruit of yours is very handy. Good to hear you have your arm back." The admiral slid a wanted poster across his desk at Briggs. "I heard that you lost it to Nico Robin."

Despite himself, Briggs stiffened at the sight of the hated woman's face staring back at him from the poster. "Not quite accurate. She simply broke and dislocated it. Crocodile was the one who finished the job."

"Still, you fought her. What were your observations?"

"Bitter. Cruel." The woman's past victim involuntarily clutched the shoulder of his newly-regenerated arm as a throbbing pain suddenly shot through it. "No— it's fine, sir. Therapist says it's only psychosomatic. Ah, as I was saying... Nico Robin appears cool and tactical, but is actually angry, scared of the world, and desperate not to show it."

"And you consider her a threat that shouldn't be allowed to remain free?"

"I don't follow, sir."

"I'll get to the point, Briggs. My sources tell me that since Alabasta, you've been digging up any information you had clearance for on Nico Robin and the Ohara incident twenty years ago. You've even been using Commodore Smoker's clearance for some enquiries. I assume you had his permission for that."

"Yes I do, sir. Intelligence is my specialty. I like to keep myself... and my unit, well-informed."

"And you felt you were imperfectly informed about Ohara?"

Briggs stayed silent at this. The admiral nodded in response. "Given your previous court-martial, your caution is quite understandable. But I think I already know your answer, and why." He leaned forward and read aloud the words emblazoned on Briggs' coat. "Factual Justice. Being in the right is not enough. For you, knowing exactly why you are in the right is just as important."

"You are correct, sir."

"Which part of the official story did you think was a cover-up?"

The surprise on Briggs' face must have been obvious, because the admiral chuckled. "I'm not one of Akainu's camp, Barkskin. And unlike some others here at HQ, I have no vendetta against you. Be frank with me. That's an order."

"Yes, sir. Well, as you know, I fought Nico Robin in Alabasta. The nature of her devil-fruit powers and her tactical knowledge in using them make her a dangerous foe in a ground battle. But something does not add up. The reports clearly show that those evacuation ships were sunk by cannon-fire. Now that I have first-hand experience of how her powers work, and now that I think about it, there is no way I can see how she could have sunk six ships unaided. Not as an adult, much less as a child."

"Very astute of you."

"She also displayed much emotional outrage when the subject of former Vice-Admiral Saul came up. It was not the behaviour I expected of her. Well...considering what she was said to be like."

A flicker of emotion crossed the admiral's face.

"Add in the fact the one of the persons involved in Ohara was _Sakazuki_...well, I know how he works. It was clear something had been covered up."

"Why do you care so much about an incident you weren't directly involved in? I was under the impression the only issue you were interested in these days involved the whereabouts of your former protégé."

Briggs made a face of disgust and anger. "False information was being archived in the Marine database and passed off as fact! And I swallowed it all wholesale without verifying its veracity, as in, I was operating on bad, _doctored_ information and I had no idea! An unforgivable lapse in my own standards. It could have gotten myself and my unit killed. I just couldn't let it go."

"It went against your Factual Justice, I see. Well, by your research you would have already known that I was there in Ohara when it all happened. Here's your chance to get your information straight from the horse's mouth."

"And what price do I pay for this information, Admiral Kuzan, sir?" Briggs asked as he regarded the admiral cautiously.

Admiral Kuzan, better known by his nickname Aokiji, looked pleased at their easy understanding of each other. "As you said, Barkskin— ah, _Briggs_, gathering information is your specialty. I have a discreet matter that needs taking care of which will require finesse in _exactly_ just that."

"I see."

Briggs considered the situation. Admiral Aokiji was known best for being a laid-back sort of commander. Privately Briggs thought of him as a lazy but cooler-headed version of Smoker, but he preferred Aokiji out of all the admirals. At least Kuzan hadn't been part of the lynch mob like that damn red dog Sakazuki had been.

"If you choose to take it on, I will assign you the temporary role of Special Investigator, which for the purposes of this mission, carries the equivalent rank of Commander. If you are successful, your captainship will be reinstated fully, and should you desire it, you will be placed in command of a ship."

So that was where the rumours had come from.

"The assignment details, sir?" Briggs asked.

"I want you to locate Nico Robin, shadow her movements, and report them to me. It's pretty much what you've already been doing, just taken up a notch."

Briggs didn't need much time to think it over, the choice was so obviously advantageous. "I accept the assignment. But I must say, you seem to have a pretty good information network already, sir."

"Not good enough. I still don't know where Nico Robin is. _You_ do."

Briggs looked a little smug at this. "Yes, I do. She was last spotted in Jaya a few days ago, in the company of the Straw-Hat pirates."

"Then you'd better get moving to pick up her trail. I'll make the necessary arrangements with Smoker, and for your transport too... Good luck, _Commander_."

* * *

Briggs was hurriedly gathering his things in Smoker's office when the damn den-den mushi rang again.

"Briggs here. Commodore Smoker is unavailable, I'm afraid." Inwardly he hoped it wasn't another call from yet another admiral. Of the other two, he disliked one and utterly loathed the other and he really didn't have time to waste right now.

"Warrant-Officer Briggs sir!" the voice of the backwater fisherman carried through the receiver, and the den-den mushi appeared to have adopted a distinctly puppy dog-like expression.

Briggs resisted the urge to correct the rank he had been addressed with. No. It wasn't important yet.

"Chief Petty-Officer Piers, do you have a good reason to be calling? You're not due for your weekly report for another three days— wait, what was that?" Then he shut up and listened intently to what the backwater fisherman had to say.

"They're in G-8?" Briggs repeated slowly, in surprise. "Vice-Admiral Jonathan know?"

Piers replied in the affirmative.

"Good job reporting this, Piers. I'll inform Smoker."

After the call had ended, he fingered the pommel of his sword, then made a note to change his course from Jaya to G-8.

"It was your misfortune to have run into me, Devil Child," he said aloud, and smiled grimly. "Once I'm on your trail, I'll never stop. And now that I have an admiral backing me, it's a truly bad time for you to decide to be a pirate."

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

_**A/N: So obviously when I last estimated what month Season 2 would be up, I failed to estimate what YEAR it would be up. Um... Yeah. Sorry?  
**_

_**The reason for the delay was because I made the decision to switch focus and finish my other story "Marie D Suesse and the Mystery New Pirate Age" first. No regrets... I consider it one of the most unique and satisfying stories I've ever written so far. Well once I got over the parody stage in the beginning, anyway.**_

"_**Marie D Suesse" was completed last month, so as promised, back working on TABCF and SN11. And on the bright side, I feel like I've learned a lot from finishing that "Marie D Suesse", and will be applying a lot of what I learnt to my other works.**_

_**Sorry to leave you guys waiting for Season 2 for so long, I tried my best to make this chapter feel like it was worth the wait. Feel free to review on what you think, or let me know if I made any mistakes or such, and thanks for your patience!**_

* * *

_**Q and A/ SBS or whatever it's called:  
**_

* * *

_**Racheakt 1/17/12 . chapter 14  
**_The culmination of this story migh only have been improved with a bit of additional balence. You see, I am not overly familiar with the OP universe. I have both read the manga and whatched some episodes, but only the first eight or so (or the former) and only three (of the latter). So I think I am justified in aserting that while the story itself is fine, it feels like you are deliberately fleshing out one side of the story to compensate for the other side - which is never said at all.

_**-|P: Ah so you have noticed that. The reason for this is that I have limited time for writing, and I must maximise my writing time as much as I can. I've seen a lot of fanfics which kept recapping in detail events that happened in canon without change, and I found them tiresome to read through so I wanted to avoid what they called "the stations of the canon". **_

_**As I do have this fear of not being able to finish my stories before something happens and I get run over by a bus or something, I made a conscious choice to write my fanfics with the assumption that the reader of a fanfic knows the fandom, and only repeat canon content if there is significant deviation from it. It saves time and keeps the story moving. I am aware that the result is my works ending up a complement to canon instead of being able to stand alone, but I have accepted this consequence as a necessary one.**_

_**You make a very good argument though, and I'm going to make a point of warning readers beforehand if there are certain portions of canon they need to know before reading so the story makes sense, so readers shouldn't be going "huh?" so often.**_

* * *

_**Autumncomet 4/7/12 . chapter 14**_  
How far into the canon do you plan to go with this fic? I assumed at least until Brook joined due to the mention of the Florian Triangle. Besides, it wouldn't be a proper ending until we found out which of the three of them (4 if Brook gets this goal too!) becomes the best swordsman. :D

_**-|P: My original plan was to end this story in Alabasta. However, halfway through, I decided to extend it, and now I've planned it so this story will go on until Marineford at the very least.**_

_**I'm of two minds on whether I should continue a season 3 or not. I guess we'll see how it goes.**_

* * *

**SaintBrees 3/26/12 . chapter 14**  
I am most looking forward to seeing Kuina first discover Zoro's bounty and then more importantly learn about the bad parts of the Government Tenryubito (sp?), Akainu and corrupt officials (like Nezumi), what they did at Ohara, etc. Her black and white view has alreasy been torn down a little thanks to Luffy those things may shatter them.

_**-|P: Excellent observations. As you can tell from the content of this chapter, Season 2 is indeed going to be more about those topics you brought up.**_

* * *

**Endless Strategy Games 11/5/12 . chapter 14**  
I didn't quite understand why Briggs reacted to Kuina forgiving Zoro like he did. But maybe I'll understand better as I see more of the character.

**Blitz182 11/28/11 . chapter 14**  
I love the way you portray Tashigi, especially. She isn't just a Kuina clone, and she doesn't immediately embrace Kuina as a comrade (or rival). The way she grows throughout the story was very enjoyable. Also, I must say, that you use OC's extremely well. Is it bad that, since the very beginning of this fic, my favorite character was Briggs? And it's so nice to see OC's that aren't main characters, but are still used to further the plot!

_**-|P: Thanks! I have a policy I call the "OC means 'Only-Out-Of-Necessity' Character Policy". I will only put OCs in a story if they have a reason to be there.**_

_**Oh, and if you're interested in Briggs, you'll probably like Season 2 I think. Yes.**_

* * *

**phoenixyfriend 10/8/11 . chapter 14**

How will the girls of the rivalry react to 3D2Y!Zoro? And I don't mean just the Mihawk thing (though your opinion on that would be welcome too), but his eye. Though the full nature of the scar hasn't been revealed yet (with fantheories ranging from "he just can't open it" to being too lazy to do it, or it being too painful to do so, to ridiculous sharingan-like stuff), it can be said that all three members of the Wado-rivalry have a visual impediment. AKA- blind, glasses, and injury to one eye. Ironic, considering that Mihawk has extremely good vision.

_**-|P: All three of them have eye problems! Good point, I never realised it until you pointed it out.**_

_**It would be interesting for sure. But if I get that far in the story, I suppose the other two would end up with massive changes as well, so it won't be so strange.  
**_

* * *

**Sorakage Sama 10/8/11 . chapter 14**  
...considering the change in personnel at the G-8 Base and Enies Lobby, it's should be interesting to see how things change.

**tyrantpope 10/8/11 . chapter 14**  
G-8! G-8! G-8! Yay! (It's my favourite filler) Little disappointed that Kuina isn't going but I can't wait to see how Piers changes things.

**Majin Hentai X 10/7/11 . chapter 14**

T-Bone eh... wait a minute you genius T-Bone is stationed at Eines Lobby guarding the Sea train. Tashigi will be at Eines Lobby for the CP9 arc holyshit on a shingle that has never been done before.

**_-|P: It will indeed be interesting to see how things change, won't it? ;)_**

* * *

**shiro-wolfman-k 11/22/11 . chapter 14**

And about Piers, I have wondered why nobody had commented on his apparent crush on Kuina.

**_-|P: Well, Briggs did actually comment on it while under the influence of drugs, but I'm sure the others have noticed too. They just haven't said anything yet ;)_**

* * *

**Pom Rania 3/4/12 . chapter 14**

...I now ship Briggs and Tashigi. How did that even happen?

**-_|P: ...!_**

**_...probably the same way Pell and Kuina happened *shifty look*. Sneaky characters getting all chemistry-like behind my back..._**

* * *

**_See you next chapter. And no it will not take one year to update again. -|P  
_**


	16. One Degree of Separation

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will.**

**Chapter 16: One Degree of Separation**

_**A/N: **This chapter requires foreknowledge of the G-8 arc in the anime adaptation. If you are only familiar with the manga, it occurs between Skypeia and the Davy Back arc, where the Straw-Hats accidentally land in a heavily-fortified Marine base after Skypeia and have to escape. _

* * *

The fishing float bobbed on the surface of the water. Two pairs of eyes watched it in total silence, with the calm patience possessed only by those who belonged to the same, sacred brotherhood.

Then the float jerked, dipped below the water's surface, and popped back up.

The two figures, who had previously been so still that they could almost pass for statues, immediately sprang into action.

"He's taken the bait, sir!"

"It's a big one! He's fighting hard!"

"Steady now, sir. Remember..."

"I know. I haven't been practicing all this time for nothing!"

There was a prolonged period of tense silence, as the struggle between fish and man played out. Finally, a cry of triumph rang out as the battle came to an end.

"He's tired out! There you are, you monster, you're _mine_!"

"You've got him, sir! I'll get the net!"

The tired fish was duly netted and admired by its two vanquishers.

"A five-footer!" said the young marine holding the net, flashing his superior a thumbs-up sign.

"Wait till Jessica sees this!" Vice-Admiral Jonathan revelled in his successful catch. "Good job, Piers. Those tips of yours really helped."

"Well, I was a fisherman before I was a marine," Chief Petty Officer Piers replied, grinning modestly. "Runs in the family. My Gramps was one, and so was Pops, and my Uncle Sapi on my mum's side too. My Pops used to say, when you do something for a living, you can't help but get good at it—"

It was at that moment, when something extraordinarily surreal happened.

"Sir..." Piers said slowly, pinching himself. "I've been off my meds for a week now, and maybe I'm getting withdrawal symptoms and seeing things, but did you see that too?"

Vice-Admiral Jonathan's response was matter-of-fact.

"Why yes, Piers. I _did_ just see a pirate ship fall out of the sky and into our base."

* * *

The _Stan Malay_ was an _Archipelago_-class Marine warship hybrid. These were currently considered to be something of an outdated model among the Marines, but due to their durability and ease of maintenance, a fair number of them were still found in active service almost two decades past the time they had been considered modern. Marine High Command could be incredibly cheapskate sometimes.

In Briggs' private opinion, Archipelagos were good in a straight fight, but otherwise very unwieldy and difficult to manoeuvre, which was why they were usually flanked by smaller, faster support ships for support. In this case, they had the _Pine Peak _and the _Hawthorne Hill_, two _Arboreal_-class harrier ships.

But a fleet of ships only moves as fast as the slowest ship of all of them, and Archipelagos were very slow. Not being a very patient sort of person, Briggs was fuming at the amount of time it was taking them to get to Navarone. It didn't help that the navigator was as green as they came. From what he had heard, their regular navigator was down with the measles and had been replaced at the last-minute.

The veteran officer snorted. What self-respecting marine let themselves join the navy without having the decency to at least get the measles beforehand?

He hoped this replacement navigator was up to scratch. From the look of the weather, there were going to be some rough seas ahead.

Maybe he should have warned the greenhorn about it...

…nah. That would be meddling. He knew more anyone how some people resented being told how to do their job.

It was none of his business anyway. He was just a passenger on this trip, not the captain of the Stan Malay.

The man who held that post was a certain Captain Tenzou— young, newly-promoted, quiet, good planner. Knew the value of Information. Still inexperienced, and in his opinion, excessively polite, but Briggs supposed that a few more years in service under the imbeciles who ran High Command would change that.

Of course, while he secretly thought all these things, nothing would ever induce him to repeat this to his fellow VIP passenger on board.

Briggs knew Special Inspector Commander Shepherd well enough to hold the man in contempt. Sad excuse of a Marine officer; never served on the front lines but graduated straight to officership thanks to 'connections'. He was incompetent at his job, so he compensated by being a loud bully to anyone of lower rank, and brown-nosing anyone of higher rank.

The man also had no sense of scale, organisation, or complexity, and any subordinates he had suffered as a result.

Unfortunately this also included the crew of the _Stan Malay_. The charmless company on board didn't make things any more tolerable.

Thankfully, Briggs himself was not under the imbecile's command, so he was free to keep a low profile, stay out of the way in his cabin and hope that the _Stan Malay_ would just bloody get to Navarone already.

He busied himself by prepping his equipment. He'd brought his rifle and sabre, but he'd have to leave them behind on this recon mission. He also had a couple of dossiers to look through, plus the special handwritten packet Aokiji had entrusted him with as a goodwill gift. On top was scrawled the terse message: "Ohara. Destroy when done."

When Briggs was satisfied that he was fully prepared for his mission, he finally allowed himself the luxury of indulging his curiosity. Aokiji's dispatch consisted of a sheaf of handwritten notes. It was the admiral's personal account of Ohara, when he had been a Vice-Admiral known as Kuzan, twenty years ago.

Briggs scowled. The lazy admiral's handwriting was atrocious. There were parts where each word was barely more than a squiggly line and Briggs had to guess what it was supposed to spell out.

Well, at least the slowness of the _Stan Malay_ wasn't going to be as annoying now. He would need a lot more time than he originally thought to get through Aokiji's account properly.

That was what he had thought, until the storm hit.

* * *

Piers examined the porcelain cup that Lieutenant Drake had hurriedly handed to him with considerable unease. It was still filled with warm coffee.

Everything on the Straw-Hats Pirates' ship seemed perfectly normal, except that the crew seemed to have disappeared without a trace, just like they did in the ghost-ship stories his Pops used to tell him.

He frowned. Normally the fate of a bunch of pirates wouldn't bother him so much, but this was not just any pirate crew. This was the ship with Roronoa Zoro and Straw-Hat Luffy on board. Not only was Miss Kuina going to be upset once she heard, but Piers himself couldn't help but feel unsettled by what might have happened to the two pirates who had saved Shelltown from Captain Morgan.

The loyal marine in Piers was torn. On one hand, pirates were pirates. On the other, he knew the Straw-Hats were different, and based on his last two experiences with that particular crew, they seemed to be more on the side of Justice than the Marines sometimes.

The feeling of conflicted loyalty persisted even after his squad finished with their examination of the pirate ship.

Tangling with the Straw-Hats was not something he wanted to be involved with. He hoped that if the Straw-Hats were alive and hiding in the base somewhere, they would have the sense to keep a low profile, and sneak off with their ship when the moment was right.

Piers had always been hopelessly optimistic. Of course it didn't happen that way.

* * *

Zoro was annoyed as he wandered through the winding corridors. Everything had just gone from bad to worse since they had left Skypeia. Just their luck that they'd happen to land in a marine base, of all places. Then the crew had been forced to abandon ship and were now separated and scattered all over.

And to top it all off, he'd somehow ended up in a crazy marine base that was built in a way that made no sense at all.

"Zoro!"

It was Nami, dressed up in a Marine custodian's uniform and frantically gesturing at him. He wondered what Nami was so upset about. Why she was moping the floor of a Marine base, anyway? Didn't she know that the marines took great offence to pirates doing that? He had distinct memories of being called a fiend when he had done the same back in the Marine base in Loguetown.

Ah well, at least the sea-witch would know the way out of this place.

Yammer. Yammer. Yammer. Something about being seen walking around openly with three swords. Damn bossy witch was mad at him for that now?

He was almost relieved when a marine showed up, spotted him, and froze. Zoro drew his blade almost gleefully. At last, some action!

Instead of running at raising the alarm to the rest of the base however, the marine started acting very oddly. One, he yelled for Nami to get away, grabbed her, and shoved her into the nearest wall closet (her bewildered face was hilarious to see).

Secondly, after Nami was out of the way, he raised his hands in surrender, and said something that immediately had Zoro aborting his attack.

"What did you say?" The swordsman couldn't believe his ears.

"I said: What are you doing walking about in the open like this? You'll be spotted and get captured and Miss Kuina is going to be upset that you got her sword confiscated!"

"You know Kuina?"

"Miss Kuina is—"

What Miss Kuina was never came to light, however, as a clatter of footsteps announced the approach of more people. The marine swore, grabbed him by the back of the collar, and before Zoro knew what was happening, he found himself outside and alone in a balcony with the strange marine.

"That was the second company changing shifts," the strange marine said, heaving a sigh of relief. "Too close. Why are you Straw-Hats here in G-8? Why did your ship drop from the sky?"

Now that he had more time, Zoro took a careful look at the strange marine. He was pretty unremarkable: tanned skin, untidy dark hair with regulation sideburns, but pulled into a distinctly non-regulation knotted-ponytail that stuck out from the back of his cap. Navy blue vest over standard uniform. The only visible weapons he wore were a pair of knuckle-duster gloves.

He was no one Zoro recognised or remembered.

"Who are you again?"

The marine's ears turned red. "Oh yeah. I should have realised you wouldn't remember... um yeah, introductions. I'm Piers. I'm a friend of Kuina, your sort-of sister. You know, wears kimonos, super cool face scar, blind swordswoman?"

Zoro squinted at the marine. "Okay... so why are you helping me?"

"Miss Kuina's my friend," 'Piers' explained again. "I helped her follow you from Shelltown to Alabasta. She wouldn't be happy if anything happened to you or her heirloom sword."

This sounded rather genuine. Also, something about this marine was niggling at him now. Then he remembered.

"Were you the marine who was with her in Loguetown?"

The marine looked relieved. "That's me."

Awkward silence.

"Okay. So what happens now?"

"Where are your crew? We need to round them up and get them out of G-8 as soon as possible. It's a good thing I know the base pretty well, you'd better let me lead or you'll get lost. This place is pretty confusing."

Zoro heartily agreed. Then a thought occurred to him.

"Oi, won't you get in trouble for helping a pirate?"

Piers looked apprehensive. "Yeah, well... don't worry about it. Let's just focus on getting you Strawhats out of G-8 as soon as possible and we'll call it even, I guess. The longer you guys stay the harder it'll be to leave. Where did your friends go?"

The balcony door suddenly swung open and Nami reappeared. Judging from her face, she had heard the last line and had severely misunderstood the situation.

"Ah, Miss! You shouldn't be here! It's not safe!" Piers began speaking quickly.

Nami ignored the marine. "Zoro, what are you doing?! Don't tell him anything! Are you stupid or something? Wait... Don't answer that. Just get rid of him, let's get out of here, or I'll triple your debt!"

"Nami, wait. This guy is actually helping us. He's—"

"He's there!" yelled a voice from a distance away. Zoro turned to see several small boats in the waters below, all filled with marines. To a man, they were all looking up at him.

"He's got three swords, it's Roronoa Zoro!"

Nami smacked the heel of her palm to her face and grumbled something that sounded a lot like "I knew this would happen."

"Oh no, it's Lt. Drake!" Piers face had paled. The large burly marine officer leading the marine patrol was shouting orders in their direction.

"Hey, you two, fall back, you can't take him alone! That's _Roronoa Zoro_! It's too dangerous!"

Nami, realising her disguise had saved her, began acting like a terrified marine custodian. Piers, on the other hand, had frozen to the spot, unsure of what to do.

It was then when Zoro made a decision.

"Sorry, Kuina."

_Wadou_ flashed out of its sheath as Zoro carefully calculated the amount of force needed. The blade struck home with a very painful-sounding smack.

To Piers' credit, he took the hit like a man, but he still crumpled unconscious to the ground afterwards.

* * *

_"He's kidnapped one of our men!"_

"What?" Vice-Admiral Jonathan stared at the den-den mushi, wondering if he'd heard wrong.

_"That fiend Pirate Hunter Zoro kidnapped one of our men!" _Lt. Drake repeated. He was seething with so much rage that it carried through the expressions of the little snail.

"Do we know who it is? Is he planning to use our man as a hostage?"

"Not sure, but we've identified the captive. It's Chief Petty Officer Piers."

A moment of dumbfounded silence, and then:

"_Piers_!? But how...?"

"We think he was trying to stall Roronoa to let one of the custodians get away safely. She managed to escape but that low-life pirate then incapacitated Piers and ran off with him!"

The chair scraped against the floor as the Vice-Admiral rose to his feet.

"Keep tracking him. I'm coming to handle this myself."

"Yes sir!"

Jonathan scowled as he headed out the door. Invading his stronghold was one thing, but this was _unacceptable_. As everyone in Navarone knew, _no one_ messed with the Vice-Admiral's fishing. That philosophy also extended to his fishing buddy.

Oh, Roronoa Zoro was _so_ going to pay for his imprudence.

* * *

The ship lurched violently. Briggs, poring over his documents while lying in his (far too short) bunk, was flung almost halfway across the cabin. His papers decided to make a break for it and scattered to the four corners of the little room.

"That bloody navigator must be drunk!" he snarled as he picked himself up, thinking of the things he would say to the obviously incompetent crewman.

Through the thin bulkheads he could hear the terrified whinging of Commander Shepherd. How typical. Useless blustering recalcitrant.

Anything would be better than sitting here picking up reports and listening to that perambulating gasbag rant, so he decided to head for the deck. The corridors swayed crazily as he traversed them, and when he opened the hatch, he was greeted with a scene of absolute chaos.

Briggs also discovered then that the navigator he had mentally maligned hadn't been drunk after all. The poor sod had, in fact, a very good reason for not being able to do his job properly: he had been impaled by a piece of shrapnel and was lying on his back, bleeding out onto the deck. Another crewman, presumably the doctor, was trying to tend to him while slithering around the slippery surface.

The navigator-piercing piece of shrapnel turned out to be from what was left of the steering wheel. Now _that_ did not bode well. Neither did the scores of injured men he could see scattered around the deck.

"Commander!" It was Captain Tenzou. The young captain was drenched and looked as though he had been fighting a war. Briggs turned on him in annoyance.

"Captain, this is an all-hands situation! Why didn't you sound the alarm?"

The captain gave him a polite, if frigid, smile. "If the first wave of hailstones hadn't taken out our klaxons and kept us busy fighting for our lives, I most assuredly would have."

Briggs turned and noticed that particular section of the ship was missing. "Did you say 'hailstones'?"

"Really big ones. Heads up, here come more!"

'Hailstone' turned out to be a very inadequate word to describe the melon-sized blocks of ice that were raining down on them. The remaining marines were desperately shooting and slashing away at the dangerous projectiles, anything to keep them from hitting the _Stan Malay_ and exploding with the force of a cannon-ball.

Briggs drew his own weapon and reflected once more just how much he hated the crazy Grand Line weather.

* * *

"Oi. Wake up!"

Piers groaned. A green moss-ball was floating before him and talking.

"Oh no, not again..."

The last time he had seen talking animated objects floating around, it had been during the early days of his recuperation when he'd just been weaned off his pain-killers. The side-effects and withdrawal symptoms had been... interesting. Dr. Kobato had assured him that he had held some very amusing conversations with a IV bag, food-tray and his right foot.

"I'm not talking to you," he informed the moss-ball. Then he realised that by telling the moss-ball he was not talking to him he was in fact talking to it. He sighed in resignation and made to get up, then clutched his side and groaned again.

"Don't be such a wuss. I only used the flat of my sword."

Sword? Piers focused his vision and the moss-ball turned into Roronoa Zoro, green hair in stark contrast against the grey steel wall behind him. Zoro was standing over him, scowling. They were in a dark room. Probably one of the storage areas.

"You're not a talking moss-ball."

"Did you hit your head or something? I didn't hit you _that_ hard!"

"Not that it matters or anything, but you hit me where I got shot a few months ago," Piers muttered. But he got to his feet after that. "Never mind. What happened?"

"Well, I knocked you out so your fellow marines wouldn't think you were helping us."

"Wait, everyone saw you doing that?"

"Yeah. I had to run for ages carrying your dead weight. You're heavier than you look."

Piers groaned for a third time. Once this got around the G-8 grapevine, he was never going to be able to live it down. So, with his reputation in tatters, he resigned himself to the next inevitable course of action.

"Okay. Okay. This can still work. So I'll pretend to be your hostage and lead you out. You'd better tie my hands or something. Hand me your bandanna, that'll work..." Piers trailed off when he realised Zoro was glaring at him. "Okay, um, not the bandanna then? Maybe we can find some rope or something."

A search of the room yielded some loose laundry lines that would serve.

"Not so tight! Just keep them loose for show. Okay, I think that's convincing enough. You'll probably have to march me at swordpoint or something to look convincing."

"Oi, isn't that a bit much?"

"There ought to be a believable reason why I'm not fighting back against you. I'm supposed to be one of the officers here."

Zoro seemed only mildly interested. "You are, huh? What, you a lieutenant or something?"

"Oh no, _no_. I'm just a chief petty officer."

This didn't seem to impress the Pirate Hunter much. They made their way through the hallways. By some kind of odd luck, the way was clear so far.

"So how is Kuina?" Zoro asked out of the blue.

"Kuina? Last I heard, she's working as a liaison officer with the Alabastan royalty back in Alubarna. I haven't seen her in person for a long time, but she sends letters sometimes."

"Liaison officer huh? Is that a high marine rank?"

"It's more of a kind of a special role, really. She got a double promotion to petty officer back then for her efforts in settling the Alabastan Civil War, though. Now she's only just one rank below me."

"Kuina is ranked _below_ you?" Zoro looked extremely insulted at the idea. "You Marines are crazy!"

"W-well, she only joined the Marines when we were in Loguetown... It's considered really fast progression, actually."

"Hmph. How come you're not with her now?"

"Well, I kinda got sent here to recuperate after I got injured in Alabasta." Piers' ears flushed red again at this. "I don't really remember much about that, but I heard Ms. Kuina totally destroyed the guys responsible. Must've been awesome to see."

They ran into a Marine patrol then. Piers noted with some alarm that there were riflemen who definitely posed a threat to a close-combat specialist like Zoro. Thinking quickly, he countered them by deliberately standing in their line of sight and apologising: "I'm so sorry everyone! Don't worry about me. Shoot through me if you have to! Even if we have to sacrifice one of our own people to get a pirate, I'm sure Vice-Admiral Jonathan will understand!"

The gunmen, who were from the 23rd Division, were moved to tears by Piers' words. That command also seemed to impair their judgment, because the marines promptly refused to shoot, threw down their rifles, and attempted to engage in hand-to-hand combat instead of endangering him, their comrade, with predictable results.

"Ouch. I hope you didn't hit them too hard." Piers muttered guiltily to Zoro after the fight was over. The fearsome swordsman dispatched all of his melee opponents easily (non-lethally at his request), but the poor marine couldn't help but feel like he had betrayed his comrades. Still, it was too late to back out now and it wasn't long before he was leading the pirate hunter at swordpoint again.

"What do I look like, a bleeding heart?" Zoro snapped angrily. "And just what was that just now? Were you trying to get yourself shot? If you're a friend of Kuina's I'd rather not have to tell her you got yourself killed in the dumbest way possible."

"I was just trying to keep anyone from getting killed," Piers replied. "If people started shooting, things could've gotten real messy."

"And putting yourself in the line of fire and telling them to shoot you works, how?"

"Oh, they wouldn't have done it anyway. This is G-8, the marines here aren't like Shelltown. Well, Shelltown isn't like that anymore either, but you know what I mean."

Zoro lapsed into a thoughtful silence. Piers wondered if he had understood the logic behind that particular tactic. However, it turned out to be something else that was bothering the pirate-hunter.

"You know, for a marine, you're a lot sneakier than you look. How'd you even know about Shelltown?"

"Er..."

"Come to think of it, back then you said something about calling something even as well. What did you mean by that?"

Piers hesitated before speaking. "I, uh, was from Shelltown originally. You and Straw-Hat defeated Captain Axe-Hand Morgan. You saved us marines from him. We kinda owe you guys for that."

"Oh, that axe-hand guy. Huh. Guess that makes sense. Glad things got better back in Shelltown after we were gone. Him and that idiot son of his? Still can't believe you marines let an ass like that boss you guys around."

"Yeah," Piers mumbled as they rounded the corner. "I can't believe it either."

* * *

The crew of the Stan Malay were fighting for their lives. A veteran of the Grand Line, Briggs had seen many bad storms before, but even he had to admit this was one of the worst in his experience. Not only was visibility non-existent and the cold numbing, the waves of hailstones were relentless.

"Your navigator's down, who's taking up the slack?" Briggs asked, slashing away at a hailstone with his newly-sharpened sabre. He would have to thank Tashigi for that later.

"Me," grunted the other captain, mirroring his action with a katana. "The assistant navigator is out, too."

"I'm a bloody good navigator."

"The helm is all yours, then," the younger captain replied without hesitation. "Or what's left of it."

A scream tore through the air, and both officers turned to see a horrible sight: the aft-mast had been hit by a hailstone, and the shattered boom, hanging by the tattered sail, was sweeping dangerously over the deck, lashing sailors with loose lines and wreckage. Even worse, the unfortunate ship's doctor had been caught in it, and was currently pinned against the railing by a section of broken boom; slowly being crushed to death.

Captain Tenzou swore and moved over to help so quickly that Briggs wondered if he had used Rokushiki.

It took Briggs a few more seconds to catch up, which was enough time for the other man to free the doctor. The poor medic was already unconscious. Briggs fervently hoped the crew had more than one doctor with them.

"We need to get that boom under control!" he yelled at Tenzou, who was carrying the wounded doctor to safety.

The captain flashed him a 'Why-thank-you-Captain-Obvious' look that could possibly be called a smile, if you turned sideways and squinted.

As if to spite them, the boom decided to sweep back across the deck just at that moment. Captain Tenzou saw it coming, but still had his hands full with the doctor. There was no room to duck, so he could only try and sprint out of range while carrying the wounded man.

He almost made it, too.

With a sickening crunch, the shattered boom caught the Captain on the right side, sending both doctor and commanding officer crashing to the deck. The doctor was already out to begin with, and it appeared that Captain Tenzou had taken most of the force from the blow.

"Captain!"

There was no response from the unmoving figure. The cry was quickly taken up by the other sailors on deck.

"The Captain's down!"

"Oh god, what do we do? What do we do?"

"Who's next in command?" Briggs, who had been unencumbered, had easily avoided the boom by leaping out of the way, and was now scrambling to his feet again.

No one answered. The sight of their captain lying motionless on the water-slicked deck had sent the marines into a frenzied panic.

Briggs repeated his question again, no one from the green and inexperienced crew paid him any heed. A couple were blindly rushing in to help their captain with no thought for their own safety.

Naturally, this was the point when the accursed boom decided to break off and slide back across the deck again to finish them all off.

* * *

The officers of G-8 were deep in planning their pursuit of Roronoa Zoro. But something had been niggling at their base commander for a while now..

He soon voiced it. "This makes no sense. Why would Roronoa pick an able-bodied marine who could give him trouble as a hostage instead of an easier target?"

Vice-Admiral Jonathan had been mentored by Admiral Akainu himself. While most people tended to only remember the admiral's fearsome prowess in combat, the man was also renowned for his shrewd mind.

His protege had adopted this facet of his in particular. In fact some could almost say Jonathan took it to new levels. He was particularly adept at seeing patterns and details that other people would miss.

Sadly, Lt. Drake definitely counted as one of those _other_ people. "Can't expect reason to be found in pirates, sir. Perhaps he knew an officer would be more valuable."

"Hm," Jonathan responded thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, didn't Chief Petty Officer Piers come from the East Blue?"

Lt. Drake stared at the Vice-Admiral for a long moment, as if wondering what relevance this had to the current discussion. "Yes, he does. I distinctly remember him telling some very long-winded stories about him, his 'Uncle Sapi' and his 'Pops' that were set in Loguetown. Something about being chased by a giant sea-king."

"You actually listened to his stories, Lieutenant?" another one of the officers asked, sniggering. "_The Great Doby Mick_, yeah right. Well, I suppose East Blue softies _would_ be scared of a single sea-king."

"Enough of that," Jonathan cut in. "Lt. Drake, I'm leaving the ambush to you. There's something I would like to verify before I confront Roronoa."

"Affirmative, sir. But why?"

"Let's just say I have a hunch." The base commander paused and flashed a toothy smile. "As I'm sure you're all aware, Pirate Hunter Zoro is from the East Blue too."

* * *

The surface of the pond was as calm as a mirror. Bridging it was a series of tiny stepping stones, each providing barely enough space for half a foothold. Upon this precarious ground, a girl in a blue robe and a dark man with pale wings were engaged in a deadly dance: trading and dodging blows that never seemed to connect.

Then the girl sneezed, lost her focus, and promptly tumbled into the pond with an ignominious splash.

As she sputtered and surfaced, she could hear a grunt of disapproval from her stern-looking opponent. "How careless, Kuina."

"I will try harder next time, Gedatsu-sensei," his student replied contritely, picking duckweed out of her hair.

The former sky-priest followed up with a lecture about the importance of not letting minor distractions break her control over Mantra, before dismissing his student for the morning.

Gedatsu-san was almost as merciless as Ichii-san sometimes, Kuina reflected as she squelched her way back to her room to change. Her robe was probably ruined. Thankfully, it was just a cheap _komon_ she had made herself.

She sneezed again.

"Oh dear, I hope you aren't coming down with a cold, Lady Kuina," said Goro, the resort owner, who had been passing by. He tactfully choose to not mention the long trail of muddy water she had left in her wake.

"Thank you, Goro-san. It doesn't feel like a cold, but I'm not sure why..." Kuina frowned in puzzlement. "I just can't seem to stop sneezing this morning."

* * *

"So why is Lt. Drake calling the patrols back?" the marine asked his companion as they made their way back to base.

"Seems like one of the pirates— the Pirate-Hunter Zoro, took one of the officers hostage. Commander Jonathan wants us to focus on resolving that situation for now."

"Man, taking an officer... that's crazy!"

Both men continued talking as they went on their way. After they had gone, a thicket of bushes rustled and out crawled Usopp, while from a tree above, Nico Robin slipped down gracefully.

"Well now, from the sound of things, it seems that Swordsman-san has been causing the Marines some trouble."

Usopp sounded a little disturbed at the news. "Zoro, taking hostages? That doesn't sound right."

"Indeed." Robin did not change her expression. "I'm not sure of the wisdom of taking prisoners in this situation, however. I do hope he has a good reason for it."

* * *

"So where are we headed now?" Zoro asked as they navigated another maze of passageways.

"Somewhere you can lie low. It'll be easier if you stay hidden while I go around looking for the rest of your crew."

"You must like Kuina a lot to be sticking your neck out for her friends like this."

"Yeah. I do. Ever since the moment I met her I thought she was the one—" Piers' ears suddenly turned red as he realised what he had just let slip. "Uh, I mean—"

Zoro's face suddenly turned dark. He gripped the stammering marine by the collar of his vest, slammed him against the wall, and put his face inches away from Piers'.

"So _that_ was it! You little weasel! What are your intentions towards Kuina? You'd better not have been buttering me up because you think it'll help you worm your way into her..."

It was at this moment when Zoro realised he was talking to the wall. During his diatribe Piers had taken his chance to slip free, leaving his navy blue padded vest still in Zoro's grasp.

Zoro turned and tossed the garment aside, scowling. "You're pretty fast."

Piers already had his show-bonds off and his hands up in a defensive stance. "Look, Mr. Zoro, I think I should explain. I care about Miss Kuina a _lot_, but it's not like what you think. That's not the only reason I'm helping you, or why I'm Miss Kuina's friend in the first place."

"Oh? You'd better not be trying to take advantage of her just because she needs people to get around." Zoro bared an inch of _Kitetsu_'s blade, the threat implicit.

"Miss Kuina would never let anybody take advantage of her!" Piers protested immediately. "She's one of the greatest swordsmen I've ever met!"

"And you're not. Why are you following her around, then?"

"The same reason you follow Straw-Hat Luffy around! _She saved my life_!" Piers burst out, showing anger for the first time.

"Miss Kuina saved my life," Piers repeated, stressing each word. "I was fighting a pirate on my own and got beat. If she hadn't come along back in Shelltown then, I would've been killed! So I owe Miss Kuina a debt... a life-debt, and my Pops always said that if someone does you a good turn you pay it back with interest.

"I know there's probably nothing a nobody like me can do that'll ever match up to what Miss Kuina did, but that doesn't mean I just stop trying. She needed my help in Shelltown to go after you. I was more than happy to give it then, and I'll keep giving her my help as long as she wants it!"

It was startling how the mild, easy-going marine looked once he was really riled up.

"So don't _you_ tell me why I shouldn't follow Miss Kuina! I'm going to repay my life debt to her by doing everything I can to help her achieve her dream. That's my decision, and no one is going to scare me off from keeping it. Not even the Great Pirate Hunter of the East Blue, Roronoa Zoro!"

Zoro cast an eye over the defiant man. Piers' hands were trembling, and there was a definite shakiness to his knees. The marine looked like he was expecting to be cut down any moment, but despite this, his gaze was steady and filled with a fiery conviction.

There was the soft sound of sliding steel as Zoro returned Kitetsu into its sheath.

"Fine, but I'm just warning you: if you ever hurt her, or make her give up on her dream, I'll hunt you down and cut you up myself."

"If that ever happens, Miss Kuina'd do it herself first," Piers retorted, still angry. "But you're welcome to finish up after she's done. Ladies first and all that."

There was a pause, then Zoro laughed. The sound of it shattered the tension, and both men relaxed somewhat.

"Deal?"

"Deal."

They resumed their escape.

* * *

Briggs didn't have much time to think about what to do, because the merciless boom, continuing on its path, was about to make him and the crewmen behind him its next casualties.

He could just avoid it again, but the mental image of Smoker's face flashed before him. No, dodging was out of the question: that meant the two reckless seamen were probably going to die from their stupidity. If the Commodore ever got wind of the fact that he'd done nothing and let a pair of clueless marines get killed without at least trying to save them, he'd never hear the end of it.

It also meant the only logical option Briggs had left was his trump card— his devil-fruit.

Bloody hell, working under that damn White Hunter was turning him into such a _sap_.

Still, it had to be done. Charge forward. Shift into full zoan form. Force of impact rendered negligible by reduction in inertial mass. Cling to the surface of the boom, crawl over, shift to half zoan-form. Use extended size, reach and superior grip to slow the momentum of that dangerous piece of wreckage.

In a cacophony of groans and rattles, the wrecked boom shuddered to a stop inches away from the terrified crewmen kneeling next to the downed captain.

"Don't just stand there staring!" Briggs barked at the gawking sailors, slack-jawed at his inhuman hybrid devil-fruit form. "Lash that damn thing down! After that, any walking wounded get Captain Tenzou and other injured below decks! Able-bodied sailors keep defending the ship from the hail and wait for my instructions... we're going to have to steer this leaky tub out of the storm if any of you want to live to see Navarone!"

Whether it was the commanding tone or his imposing form, it did the trick. The panicking crew were galvanised back into productive action and they scuttled about doing what needed to be done to get the _Stan Malay_ out of danger.

"Commander, sir, The Captain's alive, so's the Doc!" came a cry from one of the marines who had been checking on Tenzou and the doctor. "Sir, can you hear me? Can you walk?"

Captain Tenzou, with some help from one of the marines, staggered to his feet. Briggs noticed his right arm appeared to be giving him a lot of trouble.

"Don't worry about me. Get the doctor below decks quick."

"Captain Tenzou, your arm—?"

"I know, I'm walking wounded now," the younger captain said immediately in response to Briggs' unfinished question. "Not yet, there are injured men that still need my help. And yes, I am fine with you assuming command, Captain Barkskin. Just get my men out of this alive."

So he had recognised who Briggs was from his powers right away. It was at that point when Briggs decided he liked Captain Tenzou. Despite his age he was competent, cared for his subordinates, and didn't let pride get in the way of the practicalities of command. In fact, he reminded him a lot of...

_Him_.

That was how it usually started, didn't it? You saved each other's lives, became friends, then eventually, they stabbed you in the back.

Just like that bastard who was still out there, running free without having to face the consequences of his actions.

Suddenly the warm feeling of camaraderie was gone.

Briggs shrank back to his human form as soon as the boom was secure. No point getting attached. No point making friends. Just get the job done and move on.

* * *

The little mobile den-den mushi in Lt. Drake's pocket was clamouring for attention.

"Commander Jonathan?" the Lieutenant greeted, recognising the voice of his superior.

"Lieutenant, I checked the personnel records. I know why Roronoa took Piers now! It wasn't just a simple hostage situation. It was revenge!"

"Revenge? For what?"

"No time to explain. But this has taken a serious turn and we need to intercept them as soon as possible. If Roronoa gets into a situation where he no longer needs a hostage, he will probably kill Piers the first chance he gets."

"I don't understand."

"Never mind. Where are they now? Is your ambush ready?"

"Yes sir! The seventh squadron has been herding them towards our position in the north observation platform. They took heavy casualties but as far as we can tell, no fatalities."

"Good." Vice-Admiral Jonathan's voice was authoritative. "I'm heading over there now. Do _not_ engage that pirate hunter until I get there."

* * *

The hailstorm was lessening in force. The blocks of ice still rained down, but the frequency had lessened somewhat. Somehow, the skeleton crew had managed to hold together and keep the ship sailing. There had been no other casualties since, and Briggs was determined to keep it that way.

As he paused for a moment to catch his breath, the hatch swung open, and Commander Shepherd peered out. "What the blazes is going on here? Why can't you fools sail this thing properly?"

"Shepherd!" For once Briggs was not displeased to see the appearance of the inspector. "We're in the middle of a Class-5 hailstorm. We need all the help we can get on deck. Get over there and man the rudder—"

"Where's Captain Tenzou? Why is that fool slacking off?" Shepherd interrupted in outrage. "And how dare you order me around! I am a special inspector from HQ, I don't take orders from the likes of you! Especially someone with your dubious record, Barkskin! "

"You could be _Kong_ himself now for all I care. Captain Tenzou was injured and is out of commission. I'm the acting captain for the moment. Just bloody help already!"

"I won't take orders from _you_. If there's anyone who should be giving orders, it should be me and not _you_, Captain I-Lost-The-_Golden Hind_!"

Before Briggs had time to think over his actions, he was in his hybrid form again and had Shepherd dangling from the collar, two feet off the deck.

"You will follow my orders for now, Shepherd," he said with cold fury in his voice. "If you wanted to play at being captain, then maybe you should have been up here half an hour ago helping, instead of cowering in your bunk. Right now, if you ever want to see dry land again, do what I say, or _I will throw you overboard_, HQ be damned."

Shepherd took one look at his towering hybrid form, and nodded, gritting his teeth. Briggs released him, and the other officer scrambled away quickly.

"I'll remember this, Barkskin."

"Remember all you like," Briggs replied evenly. "Coward."

The marines on duty heard it all and snickered.

Shepherd heard them too, and that was when his dislike for Briggs changed from general disdain into a personal vendetta.

Briggs knew then he had just made an enemy, but Shepherd would just have to take a number and get in line.

It was already a very long line anyway.

* * *

"Oi, where are we headed now?" Zoro and Piers were still making their way through the ridiculous maze of passageways that G-8 seemed to have no shortage of. Zoro wondered how anyone could be expected to find anything in such a place. No wonder most of the Marines were crap at fighting, they probably wasted most of their training time trying to get from one point to another instead.

"The north observation platform is just ahead. There's a small unmanned pillbox you can hide in until I find the rest of your crew. Probably better for me to be the one moving around. I hope that girl friend of yours'll be all right."

"_Nami_?" Zoro sputtered. "She's not my girlfriend, and she knows how to take care of herself."

"Well once I 'escape' from you I'll head back and look for her and the rest of your friends. Then I'll either signal to you or bring them over."

"Works for me," Zoro replied as Piers led him through the doorway to the walkway outside the base. Then he froze. Piers too, had skidded to a stop.

"Roronoa Zoro! We have you surrounded! Put down your weapons and surrender at once!""

It was Lt. Drake again. The entire north observation deck behind him was filled with marines, rifles levelled at them. Zoro cursed as Piers began backing up. As long as the marine was between them and in the line of fire, they wouldn't be able to get a clean shot at him.

Zoro decided to help him out a little and made a show of being threatening. "Back off, have you forgotten about my hostage?"

"You damned dirty coward!" snarled Lt. Drake at this. But he didn't seem as furious as he had been previously. "You're going to learn that your low-down tactics will not benefit you here!"

Zoro simply drew his _Kitetsu_ in response.

Then, any hopes of getting out of their situation died, when a voice spoke out behind them.

"Give it up, Roronoa. You can't use him as a human shield from both sides."

A man, tall, moustached and with a head of reddish brown hair, was approaching from the rear. Despite his unimposing appearance, something about him radiated menace that far exceeded that of the mass of marines behind him.

"C-commander Jonathan!" blurted Piers in surprised recognition. "Y-you came in person?"

"Who is this guy?" Zoro demanded of his 'hostage'. "Oi you, don't come any closer or...?"

"Or _what_? You'll kill the hostage?"

"You wanna risk it?"

"I'd be risking nothing. I know everything. You recognized Piers, didn't you? That's why you took him... you were already going to kill him as revenge. But your pettiness and desire for blood was your downfall, Roronoa. Your run ends here. Let Piers go."

"I don't think so," Zoro said, drawing all his swords, "and I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Mr. Zoro, that's a Vice-Admiral!" Piers warned him desperately. "You've got no chance against him. You have got to surrender!"

"_Like hell I will_!"

"Don't you get it? If you resist, he'll destroy you!"

"Easy now, Piers. Don't spook him. But Piers is right," Jonathan said, addressing Zoro this time. "You may have a decent bounty, Pirate Hunter Zoro, but you're still no match for a Vice-Admiral of the Marines."

"And us!" the marines behind him exclaimed in unison, rifles at the ready.

The swordsman was unmoved. "Bring it on, then!"

"_Soru!_"

The was a flash, and the next moment, Zoro found himself standing alone. He turned around to see Piers and 'Vice-Admiral Jonathan' standing next to Lt. Drake. The vice-admiral was already freeing the hostage he had snatched away, to the cheers of the other marines.

Zoro blinked. The Vice-Admiral had moved so fast just now, he hadn't even been able to react. It reminded him of that Captain's Kuro's crazy attack back in the East Blue, but with far more control and precision.

"Surrender, Roronoa. You're out of your league. You have no more hostages. We will not hold back any longer. This will be your only warning." Vice-Admiral Jonathan cracked his knuckles as he prepared to charge in again. In response, the marines took aim at Zoro to better back up their commander. Things were looking grim, and Zoro realised that without his hostage, he was going to have to fight his way out of this mess all on his own.

The Marines seemed to sense his intent too. "Don't give him a chance to attack! Shoot to kill!" Lt. Drake ordered.

But everyone was caught by surprise when a navy blue streak charged across the platform and ploughed into Roronoa Zoro.

"Sorry Kuina," Zoro heard Piers whisper as he sank his knuckle-duster-clad fist into Zoro's face. Not expecting an attack from that quarter, the he was caught off-guard, and sent stumbling back, his swords flying out of his grasp.

"You _bastard_!" He snarled as soon as he got his breath back, but froze at the sight of dozens of rifle barrels aimed at his face.

"Stay down, please," Piers ordered, still crouching above Zoro with his fist raised. He flashed his former companion an apologetic look before resuming a fiercer expression. Behind him, the marines were cheering again.

"Nice one, C.P.O.!"

The was the sound of footsteps as Vice-Admiral Jonathan approached. "Your Soru is still too slow, Piers, but your timing was perfect. Well done. I'm glad to see our training sessions have paid off."

"Y-yes sir!"

"As for you, Roronoa Zoro..." the man flashed a toothy grin at his new captive. "Welcome to G-8."

* * *

"Land in sight!" the lookout shouted. The sailors on deck cheered in weary relief. It had been a hard journey for the _Stan Malay_ and her two consort ships, but they had made it safely their destination at last. On the horizon, the marine stronghold of G-8 loomed, its massive iron doors and walls rising proudly out of the ocean.

"We're here, at bloody long last," breathed Briggs. "Seaman Tock, get G-8 on the den-den and make sure we go through all proper docking protocols. Make sure the _Pine Peak_ and _Hawthorn Hill_ are aware as well."

"Yes, Commander sir!"

"Mr. Helmsman, I'm sure you'll have no problem getting the _Stan Malay_ in?"

"No problem, sir!" The young marine replied immediately, eager to impress. Briggs decided not to mention that it was clear water between their location and the gates, and even a monkey would be able to get them in with little problem.

"Navarone. Now that's a sight for sore eyes," a voice came from behind him.

"Captain Tenzou. Good to see you back on the bridge!"

The Captain had an arm in a sling and his face was pale with pain, but the look in his eyes was alert and focused.

"I came up as soon as I could. I was running the triage below decks. We have men in serious condition, including the doctor. You have my thanks for stepping in as the _Stan Malay_'s acting captain, Captain Barkskin."

"Commander," Briggs corrected. "And I go by 'Briggs' now. It's fine, I needed to get here too. Just doing my job..." he trailed off for a moment, suddenly remembering the details of his real job. "Damn! My reports! And we're at Navarone already, double damn!"

"Need to be somewhere?"

"Yes! I should have been done with it by now! All crew, I'm relinquishing command back to Captain Tenzou."

Without waiting for acknowledgement, Briggs bolted back below decks.

When he got to his cabin, he groaned. The place was a mess and the floor was awash with loose paper from the scrambled dossiers. Resignedly, he started the arduous task of picking them up. It was going to be a nightmare figuring out which documents came from which file.

The only exceptions were Aokiji's hand-written notes, which stood out from the rest, so perhaps it was no surprise that he started with them first. That was also how he ended up reading the page he hadn't gotten to yet.

"_What the hell?_"

For a while after that, he forgot all about the rest of the reports.

* * *

Zoro's cell was hewn out of solid rock, and its open face was barred with very sturdy seastone-lined bars. If this wasn't enough for containment, the marines had also made the effort to restrain his hands in wooden stocks, just in case.

The rifle-toting guard standing outside seemed almost superfluous at this point. The guard seemed to think so too, for he was yawning. Zoro followed his example. Being captured was boring, but he perked up when he thought he heard a familiar voice outside his cell.

The guard was talking to someone. "Oh you're gonna have a word alone with the prisoner? Gonna tear him down for taking you hostage?"

"Kinda. Um... Is that okay with you guys?"

"Oh hell it's fine. Nice to see the fiery side of you for once, Piers. Just don't get kidnapped again, okay?"

There was a nervous laugh. A familiar figure appeared in front of the cell shortly after that. Zoro's eyes narrowed.

"_You_!"

Piers said nothing as the guard exited the room, leaving him and the pirate hunter alone. When he was sure the man had left, he finally spoke.

"Mr. Zoro... I didn't mean to lead you into an ambush. I didn't know about it."

Zoro just scowled at the floor.

"But since we did walk right into it, I had to do what I did. There was no other way around it, you know. If you hadn't been subdued then, they would have killed you and I couldn't let that happen.

"This'll be the safest place for you for time being. The G-8 marines aren't cruel. I'm sure the rest of your crew will be here soon."

The was a long, painful silence. Piers fidgeted.

"Mr. Zoro, please say something."

Zoro looked up.

"I recognise you now. Don't remember your face, but I remember your punch. You're _that_ guy."

* * *

_This wasn't what it was supposed to be like. _

_He'd thought the Marines were supposed to be about fighting injustice and protecting the innocent, not standing around helplessly watching a spoiled brat beat up a man who had done nothing wrong._

_"Hey dumbass, I'd say you hit like a girl, except that that would be an insult to the ones I know." For a man who had been tied to a stake for over a week now, Roronoa Zoro sure had a lot of spirit left in him. _

_Helmeppo's embarrassed outrage made his face look even more ridiculous than usual. It also seemed to put him off attempting to hurt Zoro. In person, anyway. Instead, he motioned to Piers, who cringed. This was even worse than being made to watch._

"_Hey you, take over. And make sure you punch him hard." Helmeppo was already headed for the shade, leaving him standing under the scorching sun with the Pirate Hunter_

_He really hated this. He had fantasies where he'd turn around, refuse, and punch Helmeppo instead, but it never happened. Piers knew the consequences of disobedience._

"_Sorry."_

_This wasn't what it was supposed to be like, Piers thought miserably as he began hitting a man who could not fight back. It was never meant to be like this at all._

* * *

"—you're Helmeppo's pet marine. Now what that vice-admiral guy said finally makes sense. He thought I wanted revenge on you for Shelltown."

Piers hung his head in guilt.

"Yes, that was me. I guess I should have told you earlier. I first ran into you back in Shelltown, long before I met Kuina. I was Helmeppo's personal lackey. I-I was the one who beat you up every single day you were starving and tied to that post."

The marine's hand clenched into a fist at the memory of his shame.

"I was the one who threw that little girl out of the execution ground when she tried to bring you food. I- I didn't want to hurt her but I was too much of a coward to disobey Helmeppo then, just like I was that time he set his wolf loose in that bar. I just kept my head down and did nothing!"

It was Piers' turn to stare at the floor now.

"I was supposed to be a marine. Instead I ended up working for a bully. In the end it was you, a bounty hunter, who saved the people and got in trouble for it. It's just not right—"

"Piers?" a call came from the marine at the cell-block gate. "Commander Jonathan has requested for you. You'd better head out."

Piers turned for one last look at him. Zoro met his gaze stonily, but said nothing.

"I gotta go," Piers whispered. "Sorry."

Zoro watched the marine leave, and resigned himself to a long wait.

* * *

"This can't be true..."

There was a crackle as Briggs crumpled the sheet of paper into a ball and hurled into an empty metal coffee tin. Its existing contents, which were already smouldering, flared into flames with the additional fuel. He began pacing, agitatedly muttering to himself.

"No. It's theoretically possible. The facts match. It's the kind of thing that bastard Sakazuki would do."

_But genocide on that scale? On unarmed civilian ships? What the hell had gone on in Ohara?_

"What the _hell_ kind of Justice was that?" Briggs asked aloud.

There was a knock on the door.

"Commander? Captain Tenzou asked us to inform you: Vice-Admiral Jonathan just granted us permission to dock. The G-8 gates are finally opening. Did you want to be up on deck when we go in?"

"Give Captain Tenzou my thanks. I'll be up shortly."

"Yes, Commander, sir!" The footsteps faded away.

Briggs fiddled with the empty wrapper of Aokiji's dispatch, then added it into the tin to burn along with its former contents. Then, he gathered his shaken composure and made up his mind.

Basic intelligence guidelines said to never rely on just one source. Aokiji's story was just one side of the story. He didn't doubt that Aokiji was being truthful, but truth and accuracy were two very different things.

As a trained intelligence officer, the most reasonable thing to do next was obviously get more accounts from witnesses of the incident to corroborate facts.

And as fate would have it, there was at least one other person in G-8 who could give him the information he needed.

The fire in the tin burned out in a weak puff of dark smoke. Before Briggs left, he slapped the lid on, transformed his hand so that the heat would not injure it, and flung the ashes out of the porthole window.

The little coffee tin hit the water with a smack. What was left that particular fragment of Ohara's true history was soon left behind as refuse bobbing on the surface of the water.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

[1] Captain Tenzou is a original character from_ Those Damn Marines!_ by Aoi24. Kidnapped and repurposed into an AU version to do my bidding—I mean, used here with permission from the original author. ;)

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**SBS (Oh and look, new cover!) Check out my profile page for link to the full-sized picture)**

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**Endless Strategy Games 1/9/13 . chapter 15**

What doesn't make sense is your timeline. I though Kuina was supposed to remain in Alabasta for a few months? The Jaya and Skypiea arcs took less than a week put together, if memory serves. So on top of Kuina acting like she's been at Alabasta longer than she has, Gedatsu somehow making a hot spring in...2 days...and Briggs somehow doing extensive research and receiving several authorizations and word of that making its way to Aokiji in such a short time is really weird. I haven't thought it over that much, but this timeline seems to be impossible.

_**-|P: Ah the timeline. My impression of the SH adventures is, in the canon, we only get to see the selected parts where interesting stuff happens. In between the arcs there were probably long stretches of time, days and even weeks where the SHs do nothing but travel from one island to another. Traditional sailing used to be like that. I'm also following anime timeline, which means there was the delay of the Rainbow Mist arc too, although I will never reference THAT in the story because I abhor that arc and most of the filler arcs. G-8 is the only filler arc I've ever liked. So that gives us a few months.**_

_**As for Getdatsu dropping down and building a resort in the space of a week... heh yeah. Busted. I did think of that, but I decided to go with my AU license and saying that the SHs partied for days and that Dirt Boss and Forest Boss are really fast XD**_

* * *

**Sarcasticles 1/9/13 . chapter 15**

You've mentioned your love-affair of minor characters and minor plot details before, but adding in Gedatsu's coverstory as a vehicle to intoduce a haki teacher and a (future) supernova was clever. Well done.

It looks like we're digging into a "justice" arc for season two. I don't think I've read a marine-centric story that focused on opposing justice ideals, which has a bazillion plot oppertunities. Factual justice...I look forward to where this is going.

_**-|P: I have a thing for the minor characters, so I relish every single opportunity to trot them out. If I were on AO3 my character tag list would be so loooooooong! (actually I am on AO3 but I haven't gotten around to adding TABCF to my story list yet)**_

_**Yes, this season's theme is Justice and Truth. Or as mentioned, Factual Justice.**_

* * *

**Ysaye 1/9/13 . chapter 15**

Oh my! Quite a pleasant surprise to see this story being continued, although I'm really sad about Pell not surviving in your story. Can't you revive him again?

_**-|P: I'll see what I can do about working in an undead Pell into the plot. Maybe he can come back as a shinigami. (/straight face)**_

* * *

**Burke-The-GM 1/9/13 . chapter 15**

Inspector Jave-I mean Briggs in going to be hunting down Robin, which hopefully means a fight between Briggs and one of the Strawhats, hopefully Frankly

_**-|P: LOL! I didn't even think of Javert, but now you've mentioned it, it does seem so appropriate!**_

_**You've also given me a very funny mental image of TABCF characters running around in Les Mis costumes...**_

* * *

**Miyu Hinamori 1/9/13 . chapter 15**

Very cleverly done how you incorporated Aokiji in the plot. We know from canon that he had met Smoker but I forgot it really. Good chapter, very good.  
It will be interesting to see what plot twists will be in this fic after the 'Mary Suesse' adventure. :D

_**-|P: This review was posted before the latest chapters, but it still stuns me how on-target it is!**_

* * *

_**And that's it for this chapter. **__**Special thanks must go to my lovely beta callosum for checking this chapter for me :) If you see any errors, they were probably introduced by me in the rewrite. Be sure to point them out so I can fix em!**_

_**Next update will be for The Supernova Eleven, I just had to do some modifications to the story, which is the reason for the delay. Hang on in there, people!**_


	17. Heavy Mettle

_**A/N: **This chapter requires foreknowledge of the G-8 arc in the anime adaptation. If you are only familiar with the manga, it occurs between Skypeia and the Davy Back arc, where the Straw Hats accidentally land in a heavily-fortified Marine base after Skypeia and have to escape. _

_It also makes many references to the Ohara arc flashback from Enies Lobby, which is in both manga and anime._

* * *

**Though a Bird Can't Fly, That Doesn't Mean It Never Will. ****  
**

**Chapter 17: Heavy Mettle**

* * *

The old shipwright was not amused as he watched The _Stan Malay_ pull into the shipyards, if such a phrase could be used to describe the shuddering movement of the once-proud ship that was one hull breach short of a wreck. "Marines these days, bringing their ships back in such conditions!" he complained. "What the hell do they think they're playing at?"

Having finally reached Navarone and then granted permission to dock at last, the poor flagship was truly in a state. As the gangplank went down and crew started filing out, the dockhands noted that her crew didn't look much better either. Fortunately, the _Stan Malay_'s companion ships, being smaller and more maneuverable, had fared better in the hailstorm and would only need minor repairs.

"That's one beat-up Archipelago," a young marine commented with a whistle. He had just arrived at the shipyards from the main base. "Hey there, Mekao-san."

"Oh, it's you, Petty Officer Piers." The wizened old man looked up from the pile of lumber he had been sitting on. "What are you doing down here?"

"Commander Jonathan sent me here to meet someone from the _Stan Malay._"

"Who would that be, C.P.O.?" a senior seaman, who was busy supervising the evacuation of the wounded, asked. "We had a bunch of casualties and Captain Tenzou put me in charge of tracking the roster."

"Well, it's kind of like this, I used to be posted in another crew and he was like kind of one of my commanding officers but then I got critically injured while on duty in Alabasta and got posted to G-8 to recuperate and so that's how I got temporarily reassigned and separated from my crew-"

The seaman was giving Piers a very bored and harassed stare.

"-um, it's Warrant-Officer Briggs," Piers finished quickly.

"You mean Commander Briggs? The special investigator from HQ?" the other seaman asked, suddenly considerably more interested.

"Yep, that's him. Wait, Officer Briggs is a Commander now? Cool! Where is he?"

The harassed look returned to the seaman's face.

"I'm not sure, sir. He hasn't been seen since we arrived."

"Huh? Is he missing?"

"No, nothing like that. Commander Briggs was uninjured, I believe. And he seems very... uh, capable. It's just that well, when we got hit by the storm, Captain Tenzou was injured and Commander Briggs assumed command of the Stan Malay. But there was some argument between him and Commander Shepherd, and I heard it got pretty bad."

"Bad? That damn Barkskin manhandled me! Me! The rightful commanding officer of the vessel!" interrupted a nasal voice. The senior seaman paled at the sound. Piers looked up to see a scrawny man in purple suit and white officer's coat sneering from the gangplank.

"I'll lodge a complaint! That glory-seeking bastard! Just you wait, Barkskin... You there! Are you the one who's supposed to greet me?"

The man was looking down at Piers as though he was a sewer rat. It reminded the young marine too much of Shelltown, and a certain unpleasant fop who, come to think of it, liked to wear those hideous purple suits too.

"Um no, I'm here to greet Warrant- I mean, Inspector, uh— Commander Briggs."

"And just who exactly was supposed to be my guide?" demanded the commander.

"Well, it's kind of like this. I used to be on the same crew as Commander Briggs and Base Commander Jonathan thought he'd appreciate a familiar face on getting here so he sent me along to meet him but—" Piers began.

"I don't care!" Commander Shepherd looked beside himself with rage.

"I suppose I can escort both of you to Commander Jonathan if Commander Briggs doesn't mind," Piers continued appeasingly.

Commander Shepherd did not seem mollified. In fact, he seemed quite insulted at the suggestion. "_If Barkskin doesn't mind?_ You mean I have to share a guide with that big, stupid, jellyfish... no, jellyfish-spined stick insect?!" He wagged a finger for emphasis. "Forget it! I'll find my own way through this junkyard of a base!" The commander finished with the ominous threat of getting everyone in the vicinity reassigned somewhere remote (as if any of the places he suggested could beat Shelltown), and then stalked off, disgust written in every line of his body.

"Wow, he's unhappy," Piers said, turning back to the seaman, who was scowling after the commander. "Sorry, you were saying something about Commander Briggs?"

"Yes, he's not been seen since we docked. I swear he's not anywhere on the ship- I should know, I checked it myself when moving the wounded out, but no one remembers seeing him disembark."

"You mean he's disappeared?"

"I wouldn't worry too much about Commander Briggs, Chief-Petty Officer." A man, clad in a captain's uniform and with an arm in a sling, spoke from the top of the gangplank. "If what I've heard about him is true, he's already gone off on his reconnaissance mission."

"Captain Tenzou, sir!"

Both the seaman and Piers saluted.

"At ease. Chief Petty Officer, since you're here and Commander Briggs does not require a guide, could I impose on you for directions to the medical bay?"

Piers took in the stretchers of wounded men and their Captain's own battered condition, and made up his mind on the spot. "I'll do better than that, Captain, sir. I'll escort you there myself."

* * *

"They've got Zoro!" Usopp whispered in horror. He and Robin were at the outskirts of the marine base. They had, in fact, been eavesdropping for news, and Usopp had nearly given himself away when a passing marine patrol had divulged this morsel of very important information in their chatter.

"Well, I did think that it was unwise of Mr Swordsman to try and take a hostage. I hope they do not try and execute him on the spot." Robin commented calmly, which only added to Usopp's rapidly growing panic.

"This is bad! They've got Merry, and now they've got Zoro. What do we do, what do we do?! Where's Luffy? If he hears about this..."

"I think we can leave Swordsman-san to the Captain," Robin replied in a tone distinctly lacking in concern for the welfare of their crewmate. "I am sure he will try for a rescue once he hears of the news. In the meantime, we should focus on what we can do on our own."

Usopp, being very attached to the Going Merry, naturally decided to head for the docks to try and locate their ship. Robin decided to follow after him, but prudently took care to remain unseen.

That was how she encountered a certain Commander Shepherd in a deserted corridor, and how she managed to relieve him of his outfit and identity. She was never one to waste a good opportunity when it decided to come her way.

* * *

Nami had thought that exchanging her custodian's outfit for a nurse's had been a stroke of genius. How was she to know that for some ridiculous reason, she would end up being stuck in a sickbay full of wounded marines and a particularly inept doctor who seemed to faint at the very first glimpse of blood.

Sure, she'd managed to meet up with Chopper again, but instead of being a help he was proving to be a hindrance by his obstinate devotion to being a doctor. While part of her did feel a little sorry for the wounded Marines (her mother having been one after all), Chopper's insistence on staying to help Dr Kobato and treating them was too much. They were going to get themselves caught.

"Excuse me, Miss, do you know where the spare wheelchairs are? We've got another group of wounded to evacuate from the ship and they'd really help."

Nami quickly plastered on a smile and turned to face the marine who had addressed her.

"Sure! They're right over there..." she trailed off as she found herself face to face with the same strange marine she had run into while with Zoro earlier.

Even worse, she could tell by the widening of his eyes that he had recognised her too.

What could she do about it before he raised the alarm? Knock him out like Zoro had done, then claim he had been inappropriate and copped a feel? No, that would draw too much attention and by extension, suspicion. Scream and accuse him of being a pirate? Oh no, that was an officer's uniform. Not going to work...

They were _so_ going to be caught.

Just as she was going over alternative plans and cover stories, the marine spoke again. "Over there? Thank you Ma'am." The was a pause and Nami braced herself for her inevitable exposure. "Please take care of the men. .. I've got to get back to helping the others now, I mean we've got a lot to do, like look for the rest of those pirates. You know, now that we've got Roronoa locked up in the prisons and all that."

With that he saluted and quickly left. Nami stared after him in confusion. There was no doubt he hadn't bought her nurse disguise; she was a good judge of body language and that marine in particular was so transparent in his emotions that he was ridiculously easy to read.

Yet he'd helped her keep her cover and even slipped her some news about her crewmates. She vaguely remembered Zoro saying something about the marine helping them. Perhaps it was another old friend of his like the swordswoman they'd met in Alabasta?

Nami shook her head. No time to wonder about that now. If she wanted to leave this place with Chopper anytime soon, they had surgeries to get through. She just hoped that Zoro was right and trusting that marine wasn't going to get her captured like it had with him.

* * *

"Oh, come on Lieutenant, don't tell me you're falling for that rigmarole. There... I _knew_ you were smarter than that," Briggs muttered to himself as he watched Lt. Drake apprehend the long-nosed pirate from Straw Hat Luffy's crew. Wandering around the docks? Predictable.

No bounty on that head as far as he was aware. As Briggs watched the familiar marine officer drag the disguised pirate off, he could see why. Not quite the master of infiltration there, unlike Briggs' own quarry.

It had been a surprise seeing a few familiar faces around the base. Fortunately, he was in his full insect form, which was almost as good as being invisible. Pseudo-invisibility was very convenient in this case. It meant not having to deal with awkward greetings and small talk from people he was sure would rather not be seen associating with him. Not after his disgrace, anyway.

In his musings he failed to pay attention and walked right into a cobweb on the ceiling he was crawling along. Briggs swore. Maintenance had been lax in cleaning this part of the marine base, apparently. The spider the webbing belonged to promptly scuttled out, expecting a meal. It got a little bit more than it bargained for.

One blinded spider later, Briggs resumed his journey. During his tussle with the spider he'd lost sight of the lieutenant and his prisoner. He wasn't concerned. He had bigger fish to fry and he soon found traces of her handiwork.

He couldn't help but chortle at the sight of Commander Shepherd in his underclothes, left unconscious in the middle of a deserted passageway. Oh, that woman did have exquisite taste in picking targets.

Briggs callously decided to leave him there. He had a mission to accomplish and now that he knew what guise she had taken on, his job had been made so much easier.

* * *

By the time Piers had finished with helping the crew of the Stan Malay move their wounded to the sick bay, it was lunchtime, so he headed for the dining hall. In G-8, meals were considered sacrosanct and the doctors at the base had been particularly insistent that he watch his nutrition as he wasn't quite done with his recuperation even if he was back on duty.

The rest of the marines in the officer's mess were chatting about the exciting new menu the cooks from HQ had introduced. Piers, on the other hand, who had already had a long day, really didn't feel like talking for once.

"Eat up, and don't waste a single crumb!" A plate of meatballs was plonked down before him by a new member of the kitchen staff. Piers thanked the man who had just served him and was about to tuck into his lunch when he made the mistake of looking up into the man's face. He promptly lost his appetite.

Piers was East Blue through and through. He'd always wanted to go to the famous Baratie and try the food when he could afford it, so he recognised the new member of kitchen staff as Baratie's famous sous-chef right away. He was left dumbstruck as the blond chef with the swirly eyebrow walked back into the kitchen.

The Straw Hats' cook was in the G-8 kitchen.

It took him several moments to calm down. There was no need to panic yet. It could still work— the cook knew what he was doing and looked like he belonged there. That made things easier. The girl was masquerading as a nurse in the infirmary. Mr Zoro was still in the brig, but he would be safe there until the arrival of—

"Commander Jonathan, sir!" The officers jumped to their feet and saluted as their commander entered the mess.

"At ease, men. Don't let me interrupt your lunch."

The rest of the officers soon finished their meals and left, eager to get back to the hunt for the Straw Hats.

"You're quiet today, Piers. You all right? "

Piers jumped. Commander Jonathan was looking at him with concern on his face. The petty officer belatedly realised he'd left his food untouched and it was getting cold. There was no one else in the mess at the moment, so perhaps that was why the Commander couldn't help but notice that Piers had been staring into space for a while.

"Piers, if you're still bothered by being taken hostage, remember that under the circumstances you did what you could to protect the others in this base. In that situation you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Yes sir! Sorry sir!" Piers knew the Commander was just being kind, but by doing that he had only ended up heaping coals of fire on Piers' own ungrateful, traitorous head. The squirming petty officer bolted down his food after that, eager to put some distance between him and the source of his overwhelming guilt.

On his way out of the door, he almost bumped into the member of kitchen staff bringing in the Commander's meal, who coincidentally enough, looked like...

..._Straw Hat Luffy._

Even with the kitchen helper disguise it was _obvious_ who he was. Piers remembered him very clearly from the climatic battle against Captain Morgan back in Shelltown. The infamous captain of the pirate crew wasn't even trying to be discreet. Worst of all, he was walking right into Commander Jonathan's room and the Commander wasn't going to be fooled. Not the slightest bit.

Piers put his head in his hands in despair and waited for the inevitable disaster. Trying to help the Straw Hats just kept getting harder and harder. In fact, this whole 'follow your own justice thing' that Captain Smoker always talked wasn't working out so well in practice and he was beginning to wonder if he was going to be able to survive this state of constantly being torn in two.

On the bright side, Piers reflected that at least he'd finally gotten to try the famous Baratie food.

* * *

Briggs was currently perched on the exit of the Navarone archives, watching 'Commander Shepherd' go through the records.

So Nico Robin was using Shepherd's credentials to gather information. He had to admire her resourcefulness. He also noted that Jonathan, despite the co-operativeness displayed earlier in his office, had people shadowing her. Oh, that Jonathan was damned Sakazuki's protégé all right. It was an old game to him: let his suspects think they'd fooled him, let them think they had a chance to get away, let them tire themselves out, then, slowly and surely, reel them in when they were at a disadvantage.

With Nico Robin, it became a dangerous game. If there was one thing Briggs hated about his full-insect form, it was that he was so damn fragile that commonplace things were turned into life-and-death situations when he transformed. A single careless moment on the floor meant being crushed underfoot by someone who didn't even know he was there. Even small things like flypaper became deathtraps (okay, the flypaper wasn't so bad, he could still turn back into his human form and peel it off, but he didn't appreciate the involuntary depilation — it bloody hurt!). This disadvantage was even more dangerous against someone who could sprout limbs on any surface, and Briggs had no doubt that if he were to be spotted and recognised by his prey in this form, he was going to be dead before he even knew it.

The obvious thing to have done would have been to expose Nico Robin's ruse to Commander Jonathan earlier, but while he had nothing against Jonathan personally, the man was still one of Sakazuki's camp, and the thought of that bastard's protégé getting credit for the capture of the infamous Devil Child of Ohara, the same woman he had framed for the deaths of the evacuees, made Briggs ill. Hell_, no._

More importantly, Admiral Aokiji had given him a mission, and capturing Nico Robin wasn't it.

Just as he was musing on his next move, vibrations from the wall caught his attention. Something was happening in another part of the base. Probably the other Straw Hats up to no good, but that was no concern of his.

At least it wasn't until the backwater fisherman came haring along the passageway, anyway. Briggs recognised the familiar face and wondered what Piers was doing and why the junior officer was in such a hurry. He watched with mild interest as one of Jonathan's men intercepted the junior officer.

"Sorry, C.P.O., but you'll have to take another route around. Commander Jonathan gave the order that all personnel were to stay clear of this area until Special Investigator Commander Shepherd was done with her inspection."

"Oh that Commander Inspector guy- he's checking out stuff here?"

"_She's_ checking out stuff here," the other marine corrected. "Commander Jonathan gave orders to us of the 35th division to maintain a watch in the meantime."

"_She_...? But Commander Shepherd's a- Oh right! She... um, yeah, _her_. Of course, I'll find a way around to the infirmary then." With that the petty officer quickly turned around and ran back the way he came.

Briggs frowned. That didn't sound right. In fact, Piers' whole demeanour hadn't looked right at all. He was agitated about something, that was plain, but Briggs could see the telltale signs of a particular emotion on the backwater fisherman. That emotion was guilt.

Having been trained in reading body language, he put two and two together fairly quickly. The backwater fisherman must have met Shepherd earlier and had thus figured out that this Commander Shepherd was an impostor. But if that boy knew, why hadn't he raised the alarm?

The intelligence officer recalled the background checks he had done when Smoker had decided to recruit those two back in Loguetown. Piers' record had been clean, but Briggs was always convinced that Commander Ripper hadn't been entirely straight with him. And then there was that connection with that bounty hunter-turned-pirate Roronoa Zoro again…

Briggs' expression hardened. Petty Officer Piers was the last person he would have suspected of being a traitor, but 'last' didn't mean never. If that boy turned out to be untrustworthy, then it was Briggs' duty to ensure Smoker was warned of it.

He made up his mind. Nico Robin wasn't going anywhere, not without the Straw Hats, anyway. He couldn't complete his mission with all of Jonathan's men hanging about, and he had a bit of time until he made his next move.

He decided to shadow the backwater fisherman.

* * *

Piers ran as fast as he could. The old wounds he had gotten from Alabasta were prickling at the strain, but he ignored the sensation. If Straw Hat Luffy was going to break out Mr Zoro, the girl hiding in the infirmary had to be warned.

There were a pair of guards outside the infirmary doors. Lt. Drake had taken precautions that no one would be getting in or out, it seemed. They saw him and saluted.

"What is it, C.P.O?"

Piers pulled up and took a moment to catch his breath and quickly made up his mind about what he was going to do.

"Straw Hat Luffy is on the loose!" he shouted loudly, hoping the sound would carry over to the other side of the infirmary door. "He and another pirate with a swirly eyebrow were caught in the kitchens but they managed to escape from Commander Jonathan. They're probably on their way over to the brig to break out Roronoa Zoro and that other long-nosed pirate we caught in the docks! "

Fortunately the two seamen were used to Piers and his tendency of not needing to breathe to talk, so that particular speech of his didn't strike either of them as anything particularly odd. In fact they seemed to take it as a cue to act on what they perceived to be their duty.

"Dr Kobato, did you hear that? Please let us come in and secure the infirmary. There could be other pirates hiding around here as well!" one of them started saying hopefully, while knocking on the door.

The infirmary door opened a crack, and Dr Kobato, looking unusually grim in blood-splattered operating garb, appeared. Piers knew the young doctor well – she had been particularly kind to him during his days as an invalid, back when he had first been transferred to G-8.

Piers was so startled at the change in her demeanour that he said nothing as the other marine tried to convince her to let them in. He was just as taken aback as the others when Dr Kobato suddenly shut the infirmary door without saying anything.

He'd been pretty sure that the girl pirate wasn't the type to make trouble, but when a shrill scream— Dr Kobato's voice, sounded out from the infirmary barely minutes later, Piers suddenly wondered if he hadn't just made a very big mistake by warning the pirate-in-hiding of what had happened. Cornered people were dangerous...

"Dr Kobato!" the other two marines were futilely hammering at the door, but the door was of sturdy iron and did not budge.

Kuina or not, Roronoa Zoro or not, if Dr Kobato, an innocent, ended up hurt because of his own conflicted loyalties, Piers knew he'd never forgive himself.

"We're breaking down that door!" he ordered the two. Thankfully his training with Commander Jonathan had paid off, and the lock, which was not as sturdy as the door itself, did not stand up to the force of their combined battering. The two doors swung open.

Dr Kobato was on the floor, tied up and unconscious. Next to her, also tied up and gagged, was the nurse with orange hair.

"The pirates escaped through the ducts!" she told them as soon she had regained consciousness.

Piers had rushed to Dr Kobato's side and had been extremely relieved to find the doctor seemingly unharmed. He turned and looked at the 'nurse'. She shrank a little at his enquiring gaze but held the facade. For several moments they said nothing, then Piers, still not taking his eyes off her, motioned that the other two were to go after the pirates. Since he was an officer, the two unhesitatingly obeyed and disappeared into the ducts.

"Dr Kobato?" he asked the bespectacled doctor, who was just coming to. "Are you ok?"

"She's all right. She just fainted from the fright," the pirate girl assured him, but she was was begging him with her eyes to not to expose her. Oddly enough, it reminded him of the girl who had tried to sneak Zoro food back in Shelltown— Rika. She had looked at him in that same frightened way, before he'd tossed her over the wall for defying the law against assisting Mr Zoro.

"Please make sure no harm comes to her," Piers said at last, then stood up and climbed into the ducts after the two marines, leaving them alone.

A little way in, he stopped and waited. The voices from the room below carried through the thin metal and he could hear the ensuing conversation between the two women, and another male voice. His concern melted away. Once he was satisfied that Dr Kobato was safe and not under coercion, he made his way after the other two men.

"At least I wasn't the only one who thought of pretending to be a hostage," he commented to himself as he resumed his crawl.

* * *

The rescue was going badly.

It didn't help that Luffy had been rendered useless thanks to the sea-stone and the marines had been very prepared for them. As Zoro watched them through the bars, he hoped that the love-cook had a plan, because as far as he could tell, it sure looked like the marines had them on the ropes.

As it turned out, love-cook did manage to get them out, but if someone had told him that the plan would involve some very embarrassing dial-switch ups, foul Luffy- generated gas and the ignition of the aforementioned gas causing an explosion, he would have never believed it. In fact, even as the dust settled and they blindly fled the smoke-filled brig, Zoro couldn't resist taking a jab at the love-cook.

"So that your plan to break us out this time? Your standards are slipping, _Mr Prince._"

Sanji broke out in a storm of swearing. He evidently remembered the stark contrast of this rescue versus the very classy one back in Alabasta. "Shut up, marimo. Do you think I've got nothing better to do than break you idiots out of prison over and over?"

"But seriously, _farts_?"

"Sorry!" said Luffy, having recovered his good spirit and throughly enjoying their escape.

And this was also how no one noticed that Zoro leading until it was too late.

* * *

Briggs watched with narrowed eyes as Piers crawled out of the ducts and dusted himself off. The ducts had led them out to the walkways on the side of the Central Tower. Below them were the narrow paths cut into the rock, and far below was the sea, glinting in the afternoon sun.

Inwardly, Briggs was seething. The backwater fisherman _knew_ that girl was a pirate. Of course he should have; she had been seen in same group of pirates they had pursued in Alabasta. And yet that idiot had let her escape on purpose! That doctor too… were so many people in this base in cahoots with those pirates?

He didn't have much time to ponder the question, since now that the backwater fisherman was out of the ducts and the other two men were nowhere to be seen, the idiot had taken off at a run again. Briggs knew where he was headed: the docks.

Why? To warn the pirates? To help them? To sabotage the efforts of his own side?

Briggs frowned. If the boy did do that last thing, there would be no justification, no forgiveness for such a betrayal. He made his decision. The boy was naive beyond belief and an intervention was needed to save him from himself. He dropped down onto Piers' shoulder and spoke into his ear:

"Piers, what the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"

At least, that was what Briggs had originally meant to say. Unfortunately he'd only managed to get to the 'Piers' part when something unexpected happened.

The Straw Hats chose that very moment to emerge from another walkway on the same tower. To make matters worse, the idiots in pursuit of the Straw Hat Pirates decided it was a great opportunity to be rid of them and fired upon the Central Tower itself.

Briggs did not see that coming, because never in his wildest dreams would he have expected anyone to do anything so incredibly _stupid_. Regardless, it happened, and the force of the explosion, which was already strong enough to rock the tower itself, was multiplied a hundred-fold against his insect form, stunning him and knocking him clear over the side of the rocky walkway. By the time he'd recovered his senses, he was mid-fall and the menacing water of the bay below was rising up to greet him. The still-disorientated stick-insect started fanning his insect wings, but to his horror he discovered that they had been damaged in the blast and did little to slow his fall.

In hindsight, he should have allowed himself to hit the water as an insect and use his low mass and the surface tension to keep from going below. Unfortunately, he panicked and instinctively reverted back into his human form, which only sped up his rate of descent. Before he could correct his mistake, he had already plunged into the water and was caught in the cold, paralysing grasp of the ocean.

* * *

_He couldn't feel his limbs, or even the gritty sand he knew he was covered with. He was pretty sure he'd only lost an arm and that Crocodile hadn't torn off any others, but he couldn't feel the pain anymore even though he should have been able to. Oh, that that was really bad. Dehydration? Either that, or his body had reached its limit and was shutting down, which meant he was going to die soon._

_This was all that stupid White Hunter's fault. Getting at him with all that sappy talk about responsibility and protecting their own people… look at how that had ended up: here he was, beaten, broken and left to die again, and it wasn't even due to his own misjudgment this time. _

_He should have stuck to his own convictions: people who couldn't get the job done shouldn't be allowed to take on responsibilities they couldn't handle, and if they were inept enough not to recognise when something was beyond their capabilities, they should be left to suffer the consequences. _

_Why had he even bothered to save Tashigi, really? With the bomb about to go off any moment now, holding Crocodile off so that she could get away had been an exercise in futility. Now, they were all still going to die and he was never going to get to be there and see That Bastard's face when he got his comeuppance. _

_A dark shadow passed over the sun. Maybe it showed just how far gone Briggs was. It took him far too long to register that the shadow was a giant bird, and it was carrying a large round object up into the skies above Alubarna. _

_It was only when the skies exploded when Briggs realised that thing was the bomb they had been looking for, and the creature that had been carrying it was a fellow zoan who had deliberately sacrificed himself to save everyone else— including Tashigi, whom Briggs himself had sacrificed so much to save. _

_Who was that zoan...? Of course. Now he remembered. One of the generals of Alabasta was purported to be a falcon zoan or something like that. Despite his own desperate situation, Briggs felt a little of his despair, the bitter heaviness on his spirit, lift in response._

_What incredible mettle that man must have, to willingly make such a choice and go through with it to the bitter end. Until he had witnessed it for himself, Briggs would have never believed that there were still people like that in the world. _

_But then again, it wouldn't have been the first time he'd been in the wrong about people. _

* * *

"Commander Briggs sir, can you hear me?"

The sting of the salt water was in his throat as Briggs coughed to clear his lungs. Someone had an arm around his neck and was towing him towards the rocky shore.

"Piers?"

"Good to see you again, sir. Been looking all over for you, didn't expect you to find me first. I saw you fall into the water and dived in after you. Where did you come from by the way? I didn't see you but then I heard your voice and you just seemed to appear from nowhere. I guess the explosion knocked you out? You all right now? If you are I'm gonna let you go so we can both swim for the shore and we can get there faster."

"Wait! Don't let go—"

Too late. The water closed in over his head as he sank like a rock again. Fortunately it only took the backwater fisherman a moment or two to realise this and another few more moments before he had Briggs up and out of the water again.

"Are you trying to bloody kill me?!" he managed to choke out.

"Sorry sir. I didn't know you couldn't swim."

"I'm a devil fruit user. Of course I can't swim!"

"You're a _devil fruit user_?"

"Piers, that cat was already let out of that bag. As in, _months_ ago."

"I was in a coma months ago," Piers pointed out a little petulantly.

"Oh, right." Briggs reflected that Tashigi would have told him off for being an insensitive ingrate if she had been there.

They reached the shore and Piers dragged his hapless dead-weight out of the water. Thankfully, the paralysis drained away quickly and Briggs found he could move again. He sat up shakily. Despite his many years of service, the number of times he'd fallen into the ocean had been very few — he'd made a point of being extra careful after he'd eaten his Devil fruit.

"You okay sir? You look kinda pale."

"No, I'm not okay! I nearly drowned because I had to stop you from betraying your own unit and aiding criminals!" Briggs snapped before he could stop himself. "I saw what happened in the infirmary, and at the archives too— what the hell were you thinking, Piers? Is this how you repay Smoker's trust in you?"

Piers paled as Briggs took a few deep breaths. The senior officer looked about to continue his tirade, but then he caught himself. "Damnit, what am I doing? This isn't the time for this! The Straw Hats, did they escape?"

"W-well they did get out of the prison. They must be headed for their ship— it's at the docks now."

Briggs swiveled around to check his surroundings. There was no sign of the ship in the bay, which meant that the Straw Hat Pirates hadn't gotten their means of transport back yet. There was still a chance. He'd screwed up just now, but fortunately there was still a possibility that he'd be able to catch up with Nico Robin.

"I'll deal with you later. Right now I have a mission to complete. You— get back to the base and stay out of trouble."

With that he changed to his hybrid form and sprinted off, leaving a crest-fallen petty officer behind.

* * *

Once the alarm went out that the Captain had broken Swordsman-san out of the holding cells, Nico Robin decided that it was time to drop any pretence of being Commander Shepherd and go.

She knew that Vice Admiral Jonathan was no fool, but he really should have known better than to leave her with only a few guards, and none of them with sea stone weaponry. As it was, the protesting marines barely slowed her down and she was able to leave the archives with the maps and other data Ms. Navigator would need to get them to the next island.

It was all going so unbelievably well that she was starting to feel a little uneasy. Things never worked out smoothly for her without her having to fight tooth and nail for it— not in this world that hated her, anyway.

Sure enough, a complication to her escape plan appeared. Or rather, she decided to call it out before it had a chance to get the drop on her.

"You can come out, Mr Stick Insect. I know you've been following me. While I'm flattered by the attention, let's be civil about this and talk face-to-face."

Seemingly out of nowhere, the tall figure of a hybrid-form zoan appeared.

"Do you have eyes everywhere, Devil Child?"

Robin smiled mysteriously. "Oh, I never actually managed to catch a glimpse of you, but I noticed your name in the Stan Malay's crew roster. I put two and two together."

"Very clever."

"Was that sarcasm?"

"No, that was genuine. Most people walk around with their eyes shut and brains asleep and don't see the connections."

"Flatterer. Now, I suppose you're after me because of Alabasta? How shall we do this? Another fight? Or can I talk you out of trying to stop me from leaving?"

"If capturing you was all I was after, I would have exposed you back when you were in Vice Admiral Jonathan's office and impersonating Shepherd. As powerful as you are, you wouldn't have stood a chance."

"Intriguing. I must confess you have me curious now. What you hope to achieve by coming after me, if not vengeance? Don't leave a lady in suspense."

The marine officer was not shy about what he wanted.

"I came after you for answers. I want the truth. About Alabasta, and about Ohara."

* * *

There was a long pause as Nico Robin digested the marine's request. Finally she replied.

"Normally I would love to stay and chat, but as it happens I can't indulge you on that right now... I have a boat to catch."

But Briggs was not so easily dissuaded.

"We've fought before and you know now how my power stands in relation to yours. If you want to catch your boat, your best chance lies in humouring me, because if it comes down to a fight, you know as well as I do that I can make sure it's going to be a prolonged one, and you'll definitely miss your boat."

"And I am supposed to believe that you won't delay me even after I answer your questions?"

"I give you my word, if you answer my questions satisfactorily, I will cease my pursuit of you for now."

"You could lie."

"My honour would not allow me to lie in a bargain such as this. Where I come from, we have a saying: 'Don't lie, or you'll end up like Norland'."

It was the intensity in his eyes that convinced her. "_Fufufu…_ if you only knew the true story behind _that_ old saying, Mr Stick Insect. Very well then, let's get this over with. Your questions? "

"What were the Oharans doing twenty years ago that caused the World Government to Buster Call their island? The official story was that you were all trying to revive the Ancient Weapons, was that true?"

Nico Robin's gaze hardened. "No. We did not care for such things. We only wanted to learn about the True History, and not the whitewashed, rewritten propaganda everyone had been spoon-fed. We were scholars, not warhawks."

"True history... I see. Your scholars defied the law and learned to read the forbidden poneglyphs. As a result Ohara was obliterated and the refugee ships were sunk to ensure no knowledge of the poneglyphs would ever escape."

"A draconian measure by your predecessors."

"What was in those things that was worth all that sacrifice?"

"Are you sure you want to know, Mr Marine? Jaguar D. Saul asked that same question and you already the aftermath."

Briggs hesitated, as if pondering what information could be so terrible that it would turn a vice-admiral of the Marines against his own organisation, and if the obtaining of such information was really worth the risk. Finally he came to a decision:

"No. Not this time. Not from you. But before we proceed any further, there is something I want to say..." Briggs trailed off, then took a deep breath. "In our previous encounter I believe I accused you of some exceedingly heinous deeds, and the killing of your fellow countrymen in particular. I was... misinformed, as in, I had been operating on falsified information and was unaware they were untruths. I... apologise."

Robin's eyes widened just a little. Then she smiled very slightly. "I think you may be the first and only marine who has ever apologised to me for that, Mr Stick Insect."

"The truth behind the Ohara massacre had been classified. I only happened to come across it because I was specifically seeking the true facts behind the official history."

"So we're both seekers of the real truth. Perhaps you and I, we are not so different after all—"

"Don't _ever_ compare me with the likes of you!" The outburst was so sudden Nico Robin involuntarily took a step back. Briggs knew his face was bristling in indignant anger. He wondered if she could see the disgust burning in his eyes.

Her intended compliment having backfired, the former-assassin's smile grew cold. "And there I was hoping we wouldn't have to continue being enemies. But at least now we see each other plainly. Since you clearly despise me regardless of the true situation behind Ohara, perhaps I should go."

"I do not hold you to blame, not for Ohara, at least."

"But you clearly resent me for something else."

"Do you remember Pell the Falcon?"

"The name is familiar. Ah yes, I remember now... the so-called 'Greatest warrior in the Kingdom of Alabasta', wasn't he? Well... I suppose standards vary-"

"He's _dead_," Briggs interrupted bluntly.

A flicker of emotion crossed Nico Robin's face.

"Yes, I do recollect hearing some rumours of it. Such a shame... despite being unable to defeat me, he really was quite magnificent."

Briggs looked at the woman with cold disdain. "Did you happen to hear of how he died as well? In case you didn't know, he sacrificed himself carrying Crocodile's bomb out of Alurbarna. The two of us wouldn't be standing here otherwise."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "My, my, my... That is a lot of unexpected sentimentality from you, Mr Stick Insect. You do surprise me. Is there a point to this questioning?"

"Did you know of Crocodile's bomb beforehand?"

"I was not involved in the preparations for Crocodile's bomb," Robin replied at once.

"That was not the question I asked you," Briggs persisted. "My point is: did you, as Crocodile's right-hand woman, know of the existence of that bomb— with which he planned to blow up an entire city full of people— beforehand?"

There was a tense silence. For the first time in their confrontation, Robin's gaze dropped. The answer couldn't have been more clear.

"So you _did_ know. Of course you did. You were there at the top with him, weren't you? There was no way you could have been unaware of that plot even if you weren't directly involved." He paused, disgusted, as the woman made no response. "Did you think it a bluff on his part? Was that why you went along with it?

"Or did you think as long as you didn't get your hands dirty, then technically it meant you didn't help kill those people? That you needn't be held responsible?"

Still no answer.

"I would have thought that you, of all people... Would you like to know what the Alubarna death toll would have been like compared to Ohara's?"

As before, it was the mention of her home island that got a response.

"Just what gives you the right to stand there and judge me?" Robin replied, her eyes glinting with the slightest hint of angry tears. "You have no right! Not when it was people like you and your predecessors who forced me into such a position in the first place!"

For a moment it almost seemed like a fight was going to break out. Then Briggs backed down.

"You're right. I'm not the one who has the right to judge you."

Robin looked up in surprise. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He ignored her question. "You answered my questions, so this is goodbye, Nico Robin. I believe you do have a boat to catch."

"Just like that? You're letting me walk away?"

"I gave my word."

"The word of a marine, what is that even worth?"

"If it was not for the word of a certain marine, you wouldn't have survived to reach your teens, so clearly it must have been worth something."

The woman's expression took on a guarded cautiousness at the hint of his knowledge. She did not say anything further, and left quickly with the aid of her devil-fruit powers.

Briggs watched her until she was no longer in sight, then checked the walls for good measure. When he was sure he was not being watched, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a den-den mushi.

"Did you get all that, sir?"

"Every word. Good work. That was exactly what I needed to decide."

"If you are interested in intercepting her yourself, I observed the maps Nico Robin appropriated. The next island on the Log Pose progression is Long Ring Island. The Straw Hats will no doubt be headed there."

"_Ararara_... High Command really does undervalue you, Barkskin. "Long-Ring Island, eh? That information will be very useful indeed. By the way, how come you didn't try and stop the Straw Hats from leaving with Nico Robin?"

Briggs shrugged. "Oh, too many cooks spoiling the soup and all that. Besides, Smoker would have been disappointed if anyone else besides himself got to the Straw Hats first."

"Oh, and was that all?" asked the other man shrewdly.

"Well that, and Commander Jonathan is Sakazuki's protege. They can keep their own damn houses in order without my help."

"I see... You should know that Shepherd lodged a complaint about you. It's already been taken care of."

"Thank you."

"Not by me. Captain Tenzou submitted refuting evidence and backed it up with the affidavits of four other crewmen. The complaint will most likely be dismissed. In fact, I believe Commander Shepherd might actually receive a censure for inaction."

A pair of brows shot up. "I always knew there was more to that sneaky Captain than he let on."

"I have to say, that report made for interesting reading. What really happened there? Smoker rubbing off on you?"

Briggs replied sheepishly, "Maybe just a little bit."

"Well, whether Nico Robin makes it to Long Ring Island will depend on how well Jonathan does against the Straw Hats. But you needn't concern yourself with that, _Captain_..."

Briggs took a moment to savour the sound of that title again.

"Your ship, _The Pelican_, should be waiting for you once you get back to HQ. I also took the liberty of keeping you under Commodore Smoker."

"Thank you very much, Admiral."

"By the way, have you seen the latest in the newspapers?"

"I was a little preoccupied sir."

"Well, take a look when you get the chance. The North Blue rookies scored a hat trick on the front page today, and that former protégé of yours made the headline."

Briggs spluttered. "That bastard... what has he done now? I'm going to-"

"Hold on to your horses there, Barkskin. I know you plan to go after him, and I understand your desire to take responsibility, but as an admiral I need to warn you not to get too carried away. He's not the only marine to have ever turned to the other side, and he won't be the last. Remember there's a war coming. There will be a proper time and place for the chase."

Briggs fought the urge to throw down the den-den and run for the nearest newspaper.

"Yes sir."

* * *

"So that weird marine helped you get away huh?" Zoro asked Nami after the Going Merry had safely escaped from G-8 for the second time.

"Yeah, he did. He was really unusual for a marine. Who was he?"

"A guy I knew from back in Shelltown," was Zoro's careful reply.

"Oh? Just like that swordswoman from Alabasta?"

"Kuina's different. This one, well... let's just say he owed me." Then a thought occurred to Zoro. "Hey Nami, since he helped you because of his debt to me, we can consider my debt to you paid, then."

Nami was not moved. "Oh no you don't! I never agreed to cancel your debt in exchange for that. You can't make up that kind of trade without the consent of the other party!"

"But—"

"A little bit of help like that isn't enough to pay for the amount of beli you owe me, Roronoa Zoro."

"You stingy sea-witch! I didn't even use any of it! You just piled up the interest!"

"Oh all right then," Nami suddenly looked magnanimous. "Thanks to that guy, I'll reduce your interest rate by two percent from now on."

Zoro's response to Nami's offer was something that had Sanji in a rage and rushing to defend his beloved Nami-swan's honour. In the ensuing fight between the swordsman and cook, the strange encounter with the even stranger marine was soon forgotten.

* * *

_Failure._ Complete and utter defeat by a tiny crew of pirates. Lt. Drake half-wished Commander Jonathan hadn't been so calm and supportive about the Straw Hats making such a clean getaway. It only made things worse.

He was jolted out of his self-pity by a voice unexpectedly speaking into his ear.

"I heard that the Straw Hat Pirates got away. It's a shame, but personally, I am of the opinion Shepherd was the one to blame for bungling up your plans, Lieutenant."

Lt. Drake jumped in shock and swore at the tall figure who had just appeared out of nowhere. "Barkskin? Don't sneak up to people like that!"

"Hullo, Lieutenant. It's been a while, I know. HQ put me and old Francis in cold storage all the way out in Loguetown. Since they've got you stuck here I guess they did the same to anyone with any kind of connections to that bastard?"

As much as Lt. Drake hated to admit it, it was true. "I don't mind it anymore. G-8 is a good place to be, and I respect Commander Jonathan greatly."

"I'm sure you do. Heard from that cousin of yours recently?"

"Nothing in person." The Lieutenant looked uncomfortable at the direction the conversation seemed to be heading. "Er, I'm very sorry about what happened with the whole The Golden Hind incident, Barkskin, but I can't help you find him. I've had no contact with him since that time."

The other man raised an eyebrow. "You absolutely sure about that?

"That person is as good as dead to me," the lieutenant repeated for emphasis.

Briggs regarded the lieutenant for a moment, then smiled grimly. "Oh, he'll be as good as dead soon enough. I'll see to that myself. Nice talking to you, Lieutenant." He walked on for a few paces, then turned around and called out:

"Oh, have you seen Chief Petty Officer Piers around, by any chance? "

* * *

Piers was waiting for Briggs in the deserted officers' quarters, agitatedly pacing like a nervous wreck. Rightly so, considering how stupid the boy had been. Briggs walked over to him and regarded him coolly, arms crossed.

"Well, Piers, you'll be happy to hear the Straw Hat Pirates got away. I do hope you have a good reason for siding with pirates and nearly committing treason, however."

"Commander Briggs sir, I can explain… I…" The ever-chatty Piers was stumbling, at a loss for words for once.

"_Captain_ Briggs," Briggs corrected. "And I'm listening. Why were you helping those pirates?"

"Th-those weren't just any pirates, sir. They were the Straw Hats."

"Yes I _know_ they're the Straw Hats, you were the one who called me about it in the first place, remember? What was so special about them?" Briggs tried to sound scornful, but at the back of his mind he couldn't help but remember Alabasta, him lying defeated in the sand, and then finding out later that Straw Hat Luffy had defeated Crocodile, and the pirates had been the ones who had located the bomb...

"They saved Shelltown from Captain Morgan back in the East Blue when I was still a lowly seaman. Captain Morgan had gone corrupt and power-crazy and we were all blindly obeying him. The people of Shelltown suffered because we didn't stop to think for ourselves. If it wasn't for Straw Hat Luffy and Roronoa Zoro defeating him, he might have never stopped.

"It wasn't Justice, sir, and neither was this, or what the higher-ups said to cover up the fact the Straw Hats saved Alabasta. It wasn't right, and I just wanted to put things a little more right."

"And that's your reason?"

"Yes sir," said Piers in a small voice. Then he seemed to gather his nerve. "I understand what I did went against what I was supposed to do as a marine, and I'll take whatever punishment I got coming to me— whatever Commodore Smoker decides. You're going to tell him, aren't you?"

Briggs was silent for a very long time.

"Sir?"

"Piers, if there's one thing I hate more than a pirate, it's a marine who turns traitor."

The boy blanched. "Sir… I didn't! I'm still a marine all the way. I still believe in justice and protecting people. I just did what I thought was right, real living justice instead of, I don't know… on-paper justice. I was just—"

Briggs raised a hand and cut him off. "—being colossally stupid. Looking the other way from time to time is one thing, but going against your own division like you did just now— did you not know that Commander Jonathan is Admiral Akainu's protege? The same Akainu who melts faces for any infraction of the Marine Code?"

"But Commander Jonathan would never...!"

"You damned fool! Do you truly think that if you were caught and it came down to a court-martial, he would overrule his own mentor? If Akainu got wind of what you, in your infinite stupidity, were doing," — Briggs brought his face inches away from Piers' — "you could have been executed on the spot!

"Worst of all, your actions don't just impact you alone! Did you ever stop to think how your being court-martialled would have reflected on Commodore Smoker? His support of you would mean he'd be affected as well! Not to mention the disgrace that blind girl friend of yours would suffer for just being associated with you!"

Piers' eyes widened. Clearly it had never occurred to the boy.

"There is a line you do not cross when you are in the Marines, Piers, because once you do, there is no going back! The next time you put yourself on the line like that for a pirate, I swear: _Smoker is going to know every single detail._ I will not cover for you again."

"A-again? You mean you're not going to tell Commodore Smoker this time?"

"I'm looking the other way, but only this once, since your intentions were good and you can't seem to help being a naive idiot." Briggs paused, then continued a little less harshly. "But you were also the naive idiot who saved me from drowning, so that does count for something."

Piers stared at him for a moment, then exhaled in relief. "Thank you sir. And you're welcome. Nice beard by the way."

Briggs' hand self-consciously went to his now fully-bearded chin. "Yes, Hina wouldn't shut up about plucked turkeys, so I had to regrow the damn thing." He sighed. " Anyway, go get your ideas of Justice sorted out, say your goodbyes and get ready to move. You're being recalled from G-8. There is a war coming and Smoker wants you back. In fact, I think I'd better make sure you depart on the _Stan Malay_ with me once it's fit to sail again." He got up and began walking.

"Sir, where are you going?"

"Right now? I am going to find myself a bloody damn newspaper."

* * *

Nico Robin turned the page of the newspaper that had just been delivered by news coo. Normally she would be poring over it, but today, she found herself blankly staring at the broadsheet without reading it.

_"If it was not for the word of a certain marine, you wouldn't have survived to reach your teens, so clearly it must have been worth something."_

She frowned. That irritating stick-insect man had been poking around, digging for information on her past.

_I should have snapped his neck when I had the chance_, she reflected to herself as she gave up on trying to read and put the paper away. _He knew too much._

She would come to regret missing that opportunity much later. After the incident at G-8 had become an old story to laugh over, and the Straw Hats had emerged from a Davy Back fight victorious and with their guards down, _he_ appeared.

After the ensuing disastrous confrontation and escape, a few of the Straw Hats had wondered how Admiral Aokiji had known where to find them but never came to a conclusion. Although she never told, Robin on the other hand, knew _exactly_ who had set that man on her trail, and what the little encounter in Navarone had really been a prelude to.

* * *

"The newspaper just arrived, Lady Kuina."

Kuina, who had been busily engaged in the activity of maintaining her swords, smiled up at Kohza and laid the two weapons down on the low table before her. She could sense that Kohza was eyeing Pell's sword. He had probably recognised the distinctive blade and was wondering how she had come into the possession of it.

"Has there been any interesting news, Kohza-san?" she asked by the way of redirecting his attention back to the topic.

"Oh right! The news! Let's see..." There was the crackling of paper.

In the short time since she had moved to Ukkari, it had become something of a daily ritual for Kohza to drop by Kuina's quarters and read the news to her. She was sure Vivi had asked him to; Chaka used to do the same for her back in Alubarna and the princess had no doubt guessed that Kuina would be feeling lonely and left out of the loop otherwise.

"I'm not sure if it would interest you— the front page is all about a bunch of big shot rookie pirates."

"Not the Straw Hats?"

"No, these guys are all from the North Blue it seems. Hmm... Hawkins the 'Magician'... terrified survivors described him as 'inhuman nightmare monster that would not die'."

Kuina reflected that devil fruit users were so much more common in the Grand Line and she would really have to train harder to be able to take them on once she was back with her crew.

"There was also an incident involving North Blue rookie Trafalgar Law— better known as 'The Surgeon of Death... hospital staff were left in a state of hysteria despite suffering absolutely no casualties."

"That's really strange. I wonder what that man did to cause such a panic? It's low of them to attack a hospital, though, even if they are pirates." Kuina reflected that Doctor Francis would have had some very choice words to say about anyone who didn't respect the sanctity of hospitals if he had been there.

She hoped the old doctor was doing well. She hadn't heard from him for ages.

"Oh, there's something here you might be interested in; it involves the Marines. Well... not quite, but the person in question apparently used to be a marine. Hm, whoever wrote this article really doesn't like deserters, the language they're using is really harsh. I really hope this guy is not anyone you know, Lady Kuina. He seems to have killed a lot of people."

"I joined the Marines only very recently, Kohza-san, so it is very unlikely," Kuina assured him. "I might recognise the name though. What's he called?"

* * *

"_Drake_..."

Briggs scowled at the familiar picture of the man whose wanted poster dominated the front page of the newspaper.

"Damnit, you bastard, just what the hell do you think you're playing at?"

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**[1]** Captain Tenzou is a original character from _Those Damn Marines!_. Thanks again to the wonderful Aoi24 for loaning me the character.

**[2] **In case you were wondering, yes, I did slip in quite a few references to _Mass Effect _and _Les Miserables._

* * *

_**Q and A:**_

**Sarcasticles 2/26/13 . chapter 16**

I assume that we'll be learning more about how Briggs lost his ship? And if there was marine betrayal in there somewhere, I can foresee X. Drake being involved. Maybe. Possibly. I'm bad at guessing future plot-points.

Speaking of X. Drake, could he perhaps be related to the G-8 filler Drake? They don't look much alike, but that doesn't mean they can't be cousins or something XD

_**-|P: Oh very very well done! And now you know. Yes it was kind of hinted at ever since Season 1 actually, and especially if you pay attention to the flashbacks.**_

_**As for the cousin thing... sure, why not? That one was for you ;)**_

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**Burke-The-GM 3/4/13 . chapter 16**

So from Brigg's comments on Shepard, I guess that means Briggs worked his way up from the enlisted. Gotta respect that.

Also, can't wait to see how Briggs and Drake interact once they get to Sabaody, though I am assuming that wil be quite some time before we see that.

_**-|P: I still wonder how you figured it out so early. **_

_**Yes Briggs indeed got to where he was by his own ability and working his way through the ranks (despite his total lack of charisma)- You can tell from his constant judging of others and intolerance for anyone he considers incompetent.**_

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**Guest 2/26/13 . chapter 16**

Though I want to ask, do you play Mass Effect? Because when you started talking about Commander Shepard, I cracked up way more than I should have.

...[snip]...

Oh, possibly typo: "terrified whinging" probably should be "terrified whining" right?

_**-|P: I think after the "big stupid jellyfish" shout out by Shepard/Shepherd in the beginning of the story you probably already know the answer to that question.**_

_**Oh, and 'whinging' is British slang for 'whining'. Briggs is the only character to have that kind of vocabulary so far. Because he's not from East Blue like the others, I thought I should give him some sort of regional distinction in his speaking style. **_

* * *

**Endless Strategy Games 3/6/13 . chapter 16**

Another good chapter, I don't think there's much for me to say. Although...Les Miserables...

Briggs:

Robin, at last, we see each other plain.

Madame, Sunday, you'll wear a seastone chaaaaaaaaaaaain.

_**-|P: Yep. The shout-out in Robin's dialogue to this line was for you. Thanks for getting that song stuck in my head for weeks! XD**_

* * *

**HeroR 2/26/13 . chapter 16**

Interested to know where Season 2 will go with the theme of justice. As another reviewer said, it is not a subject that most fanfics touch. Most writer when dealing with the marines tend to use a very black/white approach. Given what you did with 'Marie D Suesse And The Mystery New Pirate Age!', we all should be in for a treat. Although after reading that story, I do enjoy reading more lighter work from you.  
_**  
-|P: This season will be slightly darker than the last because we are exploring the dark side of Justice, but not to worry, I don't think any of my other OP stories will ever get to the same level of dark as "Marie D Suesse".  
**_

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_****_  
**Ysaye 2/26/13 . chapter 16**

I totally loved the idea of making your characters meet up with the Strawhats in G-5, also writing the background on the ship getting destroyed in the storm causing the infirmiary to be filled, Briggs searching for the truth about Ohara and Zoro meeting his former torturer were great plots.

...[snip]...

From what I've read, I can see you improved your writing style greatly once more.

_**-|P: Thanks ^_^. I think my favourite thing about this story is filling in all those off-screen events and providing reasonable explanations about how things happened in canon.  
And I'm really really happy to hear there has been improvement, since it is the main reason I write. That's awesome, and thank you for taking the time to tell me that.**_

* * *

**Androgynous-Heron 2/26/13 . chapter 16**

suprised piers got some action, though on poor zoro, he would have died if zoro expected the attack though and zoro comepletey forgotten piers, just hit good luck that didn't happen right?

_**-|P: Thinking about it, yeah, it would have been quite a disaster if Zoro had ended up cutting Piers. Brr...imagine Kuina's reaction.  
**_

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**Imma Guest Here 2/26/13 . chapter 16**

I enjoyed you giving a nameless marine grunt (Piers) a name, face, and history of his own. They all looked the same to me. May I be the first to ask about the bromance between Piers and Zoro?

-|P: Yes you may ;) I half-wish I could have written more Zoro and Piers interaction in this arc, and throw in Kuina too! But yeah... plot.

* * *

**Lovely Rain Dancer 2/26/13 . chapter 16**

Ah I love the variety of your characters and how you get to see all their point of views. It's really great!

**Baron von Nobody 3/16/13 . chapter 16**

Excellent OC involvement... I loved that arc... and great character depth for Piers... he has come a long way... much like how Coby and Helmeppo have...

Also, nice to know That Briggs isn't as cold hearted as he started off as... very wonderful character depth in all OCs...

_**-|P: This arc is really a day in the limelight and character development for both Piers and Briggs. Glad you guys enjoyed it!**_

* * *

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan 2/26/13 . chapter 16**

I love Piers, he's awesome. I thought he really did like Kuina, though? Was he lying, or just omitting the truth a little?

_**-|P: Well, I'd go with the latter. It's best to be tactful when dealing with someone who could easily cut him into ribbons.**_

* * *

**tsaurn 2/26/13 . chapter 16**

V.A. Jonathan is my favorite marine! Hopefully we'll get to see a lot of him, in addition to Piers and Briggs as part of the justice theme :)

_**-|P: I enjoy V.A. Jonathan too, although I think Lt. Drake got quite a bit of focus this time round because of plot relevance. Still, hope you enjoyed what there was of him!**_

* * *

**Stelra Etnae 2/27/13 . chapter 16**

Your OCs are really nicely developed as well. Briggs fascinates me.

_**-|P: Incidentally, as you found out from last chapter, Piers and Briggs aren't really all-out OCs, they're both expanded background characters. Still keeping mum on which background character Briggs is, you'll have to figure it out yourself. *evil laughter***_

* * *

**Sage of wind Dragons 4/21/13 . chapter 16**

hmmm... I like the ppolotics of that here Aokiji really needs a power base in the marines, while Sengako supports him their are a lot of hardliners in some high position in the marines that backed Akinu and I bet you that didn't help at all when it came to their big fight they had for the "soul" of the marines so to speck It well be fun! I cant wait to see how you handle the marines polotics and at what point does it go from fighting to not fighting? so much fun

**Arkanrium 3/24/13 . chapter 6**

I really hope that she is not going to join the marines, I can't even understand anyone who like that organisation, it's like an apple skin of decent people but then it's just worms all the way to the core (not just normal worms either like hell worms, undead rotting hell worms.)

**Mugiwara Otome 4/16/13 . chapter 16**

And is Kuina ever going to join the SH crew? Or is she going to be stuck as a marine. Cause i really dun want her to stay a marine... Maybe become a pirate... Im really looking forward to what you have planned for Kuina... Maybe she'll find someone to protect, with the whole grow stronger else thing.

_**-|P: But undead hell worms are interesting and fun!**_

_**This arc is going to be about the politics of the Marines and dark side of Justice, so you can all probably guess Kuina's going to find out about the ugly hell worms sooner or later. What will she do once she discovers them? Good question. **_

* * *

**Majin Hentai X 2/26/13 . chapter 16**

I wonder when we will see Tashigi's training under T-Bone? Even though he's not strong than a properly motivated Zoro she should at least pick up the flying blade attack.

_**-|P: This is the end of the G-8, so we should move on to Enies Lobby soon. It'll be fun to have the crew back together again.**_

* * *

_**Next on schedule will probably be the Marie D Suesse and The Mystery New Pirate Age! Bonus chapters, followed by the next chapter of The Supernova Eleven. Thanks to callosum for the express beta job, and thank you all for reading. As usual, feedback is always welcome. I love hearing your thoughts! See you next chapter!**_

_**-|P**_


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